- 6 common causes of the urge to pee frequently
- 1. Drink lots of water, coffee or alcohol
- 2. Taking diuretics
- 3. Urinary infection
- 4. Excessive blood sugar
- 5. Urinary incontinence
- 6. Enlarged prostate
- When to go to the doctor
Having to go to the bathroom often to pee is usually a normal symptom, especially when drinking a lot of fluids during the day. However, when it comes without explanation it can be a sign of some health problems, such as urinary tract infection, diabetes or even an enlarged prostate in men.
Polyuria is the scientific name for excess urine that occurs when more than 3 liters of pee is eliminated in just 24 hours. It is more common for a person to go to the bathroom often to pee a small amount of pee than a person who actually pours a lot of urine each day. To check whether the increase in urinary frequency is normal or is indicative of disease, the general practitioner or urologist should request a normal urine test, the EAS, and a 24-hour urine test, as it is possible to evaluate the urine volume and characteristics.
6 common causes of the urge to pee frequently
Some situations that can cause an increased urge to urinate are:
1. Drink lots of water, coffee or alcohol
When you drink a lot of water it is expected that all the water will be eliminated in the urine and, therefore, it is expected that its volume and frequency will increase, being only a normal response of the organism, which can also happen after eating foods rich in water, like orange or watermelon.
In addition, drinking too much coffee or other foods that contain caffeine such as black tea, chocolate and mate tea can also increase urinary frequency because in addition to having water, caffeine is a natural diuretic. Another diuretic source is alcoholic drink, which is not a good option to take when you are thirsty, as it does not hydrate and can still have health consequences.
2. Taking diuretics
Large amounts of urine can be caused by the use of diuretic remedies, such as Furosemide or Aldactone, which can be used to control health problems such as cardiac changes or high blood pressure, when indicated by the doctor, and should not be used without recommendation.
3. Urinary infection
The increased frequency of urination, also called urinary urgency, can be caused by a urinary infection, especially when other symptoms are noticed, such as pain or burning when urinating, in addition to decreasing the volume of urine released, even if the urge is still very large. See how treatment for urinary tract infection should be done.
See also a video on how to prevent this type of infection from occurring:
4. Excessive blood sugar
The need to urinate all the time can also occur due to excess sugar in the blood, which is the case with uncontrolled diabetes. Two types of diabetes can cause frequent urge to urinate, diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus and in these cases there is always an increase in blood sugar the body tries to eliminate this excess through urine. Check out some options for home remedies to control diabetes.
The diagnosis of diabetes is made not only by the urine test, in which a large amount of urine produced during the day can be observed, in the case of diabetes insipidus, or the presence of glucose in the urine, but also through the blood test, in which the amount of circulating glucose is checked. Learn more about diabetes screening.
5. Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence happens when you cannot hold your urine and, therefore, in addition to peeing several times during the day, you also cannot control your urge until you reach the bathroom, wetting your underwear. Although it can also happen in men, incontinence is more common in women, especially during pregnancy or after menopause.
The treatment for urinary incontinence can be done through Kegel exercises, which aim to strengthen the pelvic floor, however in some cases it may be necessary to perform surgery.
Learn more about urinary incontinence and how treatment should be done.
6. Enlarged prostate
The enlarged prostate also leads to an increased urge to urinate and is common in men over 45 years of age. One of the signs of suspicion is having to wake up to pee every night, at least 2 times, especially if this was not a habit before. See the causes and how to treat an enlarged prostate.
When to go to the doctor
If you suspect you have a health problem, you should make an appointment with a general practitioner so that he or she can order urine and blood tests in order to identify the cause of this symptom and thus be able to indicate the most appropriate treatment.
