Frequent Urination

Pelvis | Urology | Frequent Urination (Symptom)


Description

Frequent urination is a health issue that affects social and professional life of a person. Caused by uncontrolled muscle contractions, this problem can lead to urinary incontinence, depression, stress and isolation from society.

Causes

Frequent urination is a problem caused by overactive bladder and urine storage function. Overactive bladder leads to the urge to urinate. Symptoms include frequent urination: urgent need to urinate; involuntary loss of urine; extremely frequent urination during the day, from 10 to 12 times; frequent urination at night, for 2 to 3 times.

Frequent urination can be triggered by different conditions. Examples include an enlarged prostate, diabetes, pregnancy, urinary tract infection, anxiety or eating certain drugs (such as diuretics). In some cases, frequent urination can become a habit.

Two other common causes, namely interstitial cystitis and overactive bladder are easily confused. Both are diseases of the bladder which can be characterized by frequent urination during both day and night. In addition, both can cause suddenly feeling and sometimes uncontrollable urge to urinate. The following hints may be helpful in differentiating the two conditions: Interstitial cystitis causes pain in and around the bladder, but not overactive bladder. In the first case, the pain worsens when the bladder is full and will fade when the bladder is emptied.

For temporary relief of pain, those with untreated severe interstitial cystitis may urinate up to 60 times per day. Often, overactive bladder causes urine leaks whereas cystitis usually does not. People with overactive bladder may feel more sudden, strong need to urinate and may be difficult to reach the toilet in time. Some people, in an effort to prevent such embarrassing accidents will go to the bathroom frequently.

Diagnosis and Treatment

To diagnose the frequent urination, a doctor (as the case, urologist or gynaecologist) will verify all symptoms are present. It could recommend several types of investigations (some specific) to confirm or rule out a disease. To recommend treatment for frequent urination, a correct diagnosis is the first step. Appropriate therapy can change completely in the right direction of a person life.

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