If your inner voice often says, “I have to pee again!”, you know what it feels like to suffer from frequent urination.
What is frequent urination? How often is too often? What are the causes of frequent urination?
Let’s explore this condition that many women will understand.
What is Frequent Urination?
We all know the feeling—that extra cup of coffee has sent us to the bathroom, or a big glass of water before bed means nighttime visits to pee.
It makes sense: drinking more liquid than usual makes you pee more often. Most people feel the urge to pee when their bladder contains a little over a half cup of liquid.1
If you’re not drinking more liquid than usual, though, you might wonder if you’re suffering from frequent urination.
Frequent urination is defined as needing to pee more than 8 times a day, or multiple times during the night. Some health providers break that down by age:2
- in your 40s and 50s you can expect to pee once a night
- in your 60s and 70s that jumps to twice a night
- in your 80s and beyond it increases to two to three times a night
If you are only peeing too often at night, it’s known as nocturia. Frequent urination is when you pee more than usual—all day or day and night.
Causes Of Frequent Urination
Besides drinking lots of liquids, there are other reasons that you’re peeing a lot. For instance, if you’re pregnant, or you’re over 70 years old—or for men, having an enlarged prostate—it’s common to urinate more than usual. Some medications may cause you to pee. What matters is what is typical for you, and whether there’s been an increase to your “typical.”
There are different potential reasons that you’re peeing too often. Here are common causes of frequent urination.
1. Urinary tract, bladder and pelvic conditions1
- Urinary tract infections (UTI), a bacterial infection in your bladder, urethra or other part of your urinary tract, or different types of vaginitis, including yeast infections.
- Interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome, a condition in which your bladder is overly sensitive.
- Overactive bladder syndrome, which is when your bladder muscles contract involuntarily, regardless of whether you actually need to pee.
- Prolapse, including that of bladder or uterine. This is when a pelvic organ drops out of its normal position and into your vagina.
- Radiation therapy to your pelvic area.
- Rarely, bladder cancer or pelvic tumor.
- Narrowing of your urethra
2. Diabetes
Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to frequent urination. That’s because when your body can’t use insulin to break down glucose, it makes more pee to get rid of it. Diabetes is also more likely to cause higher volumes of urine when you go than other causes of frequent urination.
3. Another Underlying Health Condition
People who have suffered a stroke, have spinal cord injuries, or who suffer with fibromyalgia may pee more than usual.
If you’re suffering from nocturia, which is when frequent urination is only bothering you at night, you may simply be drinking too much fluid before bedtime. In particular, alcohol and caffeine may make it worse. Medicine with a diuretic, like a water pill, will also make you pee more often. There’s also a chance you have developed a habit of going to the bathroom when you wake, whether or not you have a strong urge to pee.3
If you’re suddenly suffering from frequent urination, you may have other urinary symptoms, like feeling pain or discomfort when you pee, having a strong urge to pee, having trouble passing urine, leaking urine, or having pee that’s an unusual color.4
Ask a Doctor
A sudden change to your urine frequency or amount, whether or not you have other symptoms, is a reason to see a health care provider. It’s important to get a proper diagnosis and possible treatment for the causes of frequent urination.
Use our Physician Finder to find a doctor near you with expertise in women’s health. You can also seek guidance on other women’s pelvic health issues, like preventative pelvic floor muscles exercises. You can use a tool like the INNOVO Urinary Incontinence Kit, which helps you perform 180 perfect Kegels in 30 minutes. Subscribe to the INNOVO newsletter to receive a $20 discount code for your purchase.
