What Medical Conditions Cause Frequent Urination?

Urination is the natural process of eliminating urine from the bladder. Urine is produced by the kidney, which filter waste and excess liquid from the blood. The urine travels to the bladder through two thin tubes, called the urethras. When the bladder is full, you get the urge to urinate.

Usually, a healthy adult urinates around 6-8 times in 24 hours. If you urinate more than eight times per day and need to wake up in the night several times to go to the toilet may mean that you are drinking too many liquids. But frequent urination may be the sign of various health conditions.

treatment for frequent urination

Who Is More Likely to Suffer from Frequent Urination: Men or Women?

Due to the anatomical differences, frequent urination in men and women may have different causes. There is no way of saying that one sex is more predisposed to frequent urination than the other. But there are common conditions that may affect both sexes, in which one sex is more predisposed to suffer from it than the other.

For instance, women are 14 times more likely than men to suffer from urinary tract infections (UTI). This can be explained by the fact that women’s urethra’s is much shorter than men’s. Thus, the bacteria have a shorter journey before they reach and infect the bladder.

However, frequent urination have many other potential causes.

WOMEN AND MEN

These conditions can affect both sexes:

  1. Overactive Bladder

As its name states, the bladder empties more frequently than it should, usually before it is full. This condition may appear with age, with no apparent underlying cause. Its key symptom is an urgent need to pee.

  1. Interstitial Cystitis

This condition is caused by the inflammation of the walls of the bladder. This condition fluctuates – you may feel relief from the symptoms for a period, and then they come again. You will usually feel pain and pressure in the pelvis area all the time, which is why doctors also call this condition painful bladder syndrome.

  1. Bladder Stones

When minerals in the urine join together, they crystallize in the form of solid clumps, called bladder stones. The most common symptom of bladder stones, apart from frequent urination, is a burning sensation when you pee.

  1. Consuming Caffeine and Alcohol in Excess

Both caffeine and alcohols are diuretics – they increase the production of urine. If you experience frequent urination and the doctor finds nothing wrong with you, you may consider reducing the coffee and alcohol intake.

WOMEN

These are causes of frequent urination that only affect women:

  1. Pregnancy

As the uterus expands to accommodate the growing fetus, it presses on the bladder, causing it to require emptying more frequently. Normally, you should return to a regular urination schedule about 6 weeks after giving birth.

  1. Decreased Estrogen Levels

With menopause, the production of estrogen decreases. This is not just a sex hormone, but also plays a role in supporting the sides of the bladder. Actually, frequent urination is one of the signs of the onset of menopause.

MEN

In men, the single most frequent cause of frequent urination is an enlarged prostate or prostate hyperplasia. It is a benign condition (not cancer related) affecting the majority of men over 50. The increased prostate pushes against the bladder, causing it to empty more frequently.

It is important to visit your doctor if you are experiencing frequent urination. The treatment for frequent urination will vary depending on the diagnosis.