What Causes Frequent Urination?
If you find yourself running to the bathroom more than usual, or getting up during the night to pee when you normally sleep soundly, you’ll want to review these frequent urination causes. First, it’s annoying. Second, it could be a sign of a medical condition.
Frequent Urination Causes
The list of things that can cause frequent urination is long and includes:
- Taking certain drugs. Diuretics treat high blood pressure, some kidney disorders, and edema, which is swelling caused by excess fluids trapped in the tissues. Alcohol and caffeine also increase urine production.
- Urinary tract or kidney infection. One of the telltale signs is a frequent urge to urinate, though you may be able to pass only small amounts of urine.
- Increased thirst and frequent urination is a warning sign of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia. This enlargement of the prostate gland is common as men get older and often wakes them up during the night.
- A growing uterus puts pressure on the bladder.
- Overactive bladder. Bladder muscles contract to push urine out; in this condition, they contract involuntarily.
- Interstitial cystitis. Also called “painful bladder syndrome,” this causes bladder pressure and pain; the cause is not understood.
- Being nervous can make you feel like you have to pee, and frequent urination can cause anxiety as you wonder if you’ll have access to a bathroom.
- Having had a stroke. A stroke can damage nerves in the bladder or the part of the brain that controls the bladder.
- Frequent urination can be a sign of prostate cancer, as is a slow or weak stream. Bladder cancer may be signaled by frequent urination, but blood in the urine or painful peeing is more likely. Frequent urination can also be an early sign of ovarian cancer, though it often has no early signs.
Always have to go? Talk to a doctor near you.
