Most people don’t spend a lot of time talking about urination, but it plays an important role in removing waste fluids from your body. Urine contains uric acid, urea, toxins, and water that is filtered through your kidneys and stored in your bladder until you feel the urge to void.

There’s no magic number to how many times you should urinate on a daily basis. That’s because several factors play a role in urination, especially lifestyle factors like the quantity of fluids you consume and whether they contain caffeine or alcohol. However, most people typically go 6-7 times within 24 hours. 

If you drink only about half a gallon of water but need to urinate more than seven times a day, two or more times each night, or if your need for bathroom breaks is impacting your life, you could have urinary frequency, or overactive bladder (OAB). 

In the United States, an estimated 30% of men and 40% of women live with OAB, but many don’t ask for help. At Urology Associates of Southeastern North Carolina, our experienced team can diagnose and treat bladder issues, including frequent urination, in men, women, and children of all ages. Here’s what you should know about frequent urination and how we can provide relief.

Common causes of frequent urination

The medical term for frequent urination is polyuria. It’s important to note that this condition is different from urinary incontinence, which occurs when you involuntarily leak urine. Instead, urinary frequency occurs when you have to urinate more often than usual.

You can experience polyuria for a variety of reasons — especially if you consume large volumes of fluids high in caffeine or alcohol, which increase urine production. In other cases, frequent urination can develop because of problems within your urinary tract or medical conditions. For example, many women and children urinate frequently because of urinary tract infections (UTIs). And, in men over 50, prostate disease is often to blame.

Additional causes of frequent urination include:

• Diabetes
• Anxiety disorders
• Kidney or bladder stones
• Infection, irritation, disease, or injury of the bladder
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia
• Urinary incontinence
• Interstitial cystitis
• Narrowing of the urethra (urethral stricture)
• A tumor or mass in your pelvic area
• Bladder cancer
• Changes in muscles, nerves, or other tissues related to bladder function
• Conditions impacting your brain or nervous system, like strokes
• Certain medications, foods, or beverages that increase urine production
• Some cancer treatments

Women can also experience polyuria while pregnant or because of vaginitis.

Controlling frequent urination

You should never consider frequent urination normal, especially if you notice a sudden change in your bladder habits. The first step to managing your symptoms involves identifying the underlying cause of your symptoms.

During your appointment, we perform a comprehensive physical exam, discuss your symptoms, and review your medical history. We could also recommend additional testing, like urine analysis, ultrasound or CT scans, STD testing, and neurological tests that check for nerve problems.

Once we identify the cause of your frequent urination, we might recommend a variety of treatments, such as:

• Reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption
• Limiting fluids before bedtime
• Making lifestyle changes, like dietary modifications and stress management
• Taking medications, like anti-inflammatories
• Trying Botox® injections to relax your bladder muscles
• Implanting an InterStim™ device to help improve bladder control

Some causes of frequent urination — like having an enlarged prostate — might require surgical treatment.

Your bladder shouldn't control your life. Contact our office in Wilmington, North Carolina, by calling (910) 763-6251 or by sending a message to our team through our website.