Frequent urination
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/frequent-urination/MY01249
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
Frequent urination is the need to urinate more often than is normal for you. If you experience frequent urination, the amount of urine you void is often about the same as normal or less than normal.
Frequent urination may be a problem affecting you both day and night, or you may find that you need to urinate frequently only during the night (nocturia).
Depending on the condition causing frequent urination, you may experience other urinary problems, such as:
- Loss of bladder control
- Painful or difficult urination
- Unusual urine color
- A strong urge to urinate
In addition to being a sign of a medical condition, frequent urination can affect your sleep, work and general well-being.
Causes
Frequent urination is often caused by conditions affecting the function of the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), the bladder, and the tube through which urine flows from the bladder (urethra).
Factors that can result in frequent urination include:
- Infection, disease or injury
- Changes in muscles, nerves or other tissues affecting bladder function or urine production
- Certain cancer treatments
- Drugs or beverages that increase urine production
Specific diseases, conditions or other factors that can result in frequent urination include:
- Bladder cancer
- Bladder stones
- Cystocele
- Diabetes insipidus
- Diuretics
- Excess consumption of alcohol or caffeine
- Interstitial cystitis
- Kidney infection
- Overactive bladder
- Prostate gland enlargement
- Prostatitis
- Radiation treatment affecting the pelvis or lower abdomen
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary tract infection
When to see a doctor
Because a number of different conditions can cause frequent urination, it's important to get a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment. See your doctor if you're urinating more frequently than usual and if:
- There is no apparent cause, such as drinking more caffeine or alcohol than usual
- The problem disrupts your sleep or everyday activities
- You experience other urinary problems or worrisome symptoms
See your doctor as soon as possible if frequent urination is accompanied by the following signs or symptoms that can be caused by urinary tract disorders:
- Blood in your urine
- Red or dark brown urine
- Painful urination
- Pain in your side, lower abdomen or groin
- Difficulty urinating or emptying your bladder
- A strong urge to urinate
- Loss of bladder control
- Fever
- Urinary frequency. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec17/ch226/ch226n.html. Accessed March 18, 2010.
- Symptoms and diagnosis of kidney and urinary tract disorders: Symptoms. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec11/ch142/ch142b.html. Accessed March 18, 2010.
- A basic guide to bladder health. American Urological Association. http://www.urologyhealth.org/content/moreinfo/bladderbasics.pdf. Accessed March 18, 2010.
- Diabetes insipidus. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/insipidus/index.htm. Accessed March 20, 2010.
- Medications commonly used to treat heart failure. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=118. Accessed March 18, 2010.
- Your urinary system and how it works. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yoururinary. Accessed March 20, 2010.
- Pyelonephritis (kidney infection) in adults. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/pyelonephritis. Accessed March 20, 2010.
- Overactive bladder. American Urological Association. http://www.urologyhealth.org/print/index.cfm?topic=450. Accessed March 18, 2010.
- What side effects occur with radiation therapy to the pelvis. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/mit/content/mit_7_2x_what_side_effects_occur_with_radiation_therapy_to_the_pelvis.asp?sitearea=mit. Accessed March 18, 2010.
- Diabetes overview. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/overview/index.htm. Accessed March 20, 2010.
Share on:
Find Mayo Clinic on