As you get older, you start experiencing frequent urination problems, which means that you feel the need to urinate frequently.

However, if your problem is excessive, you should not dismiss it as aging. There may be other medical reasons for frequent urination and you may need to get your symptoms checked.

• What do we call frequent urination?

Man getting dressed in a public restroom with mirror

If you feel the need to urinate more frequently than usual, then the condition is termed as frequent urination. This may be different from the condition of urgent urination, which refers to the condition when you feel the compelling need to urinate immediately. This is usually accompanied with some bladder discomfort too. If you encounter frequent urination during nights as well, then the condition is termed as nocturia. A normal person sleeps for at least 6 to 8 hours at night without urinating. But if you have frequent urination, you may need to urinate 3-4 times during the night.

Causes of frequent urination:

• Urinary tract infection

Most commonly, you feel a frequent and urgent need to urinate because of a urinary tract infection. Such infections cause inflammation of the bladder, which reduces capacity of the bladder to hold urine. In this type of a situation, even a small amount of urine in the bladder can make you feel uncomfortable.

• Diabetes

Diabetic patients often need to urinate frequently, and they have a difficult time keeping their bladder under control.

• Interstitial cystitis

This refers to a constant, chronic inflammation in the bladder. Although this condition is more common in females than males, males need to get checked for this as well.

• Diuretics

If you are using diuretic medicines for treating any medical condition, you may feel the need to urinate frequently. This is because diuretics increase the amount of fluid in your body, and you will need to urinate more frequently because of the excess fluid.

• Therapeutic radiation

If you are receiving such therapy, it may increase your frequency of going to the bathroom.

• Bladder dysfunction

If your bladder is not functioning properly, it may have a hard time holding your urine, and you may need to pass it more frequently.

• Prostate cancer

One of the most serious reasons for urinating frequently is prostate cancer in men. Prostate is a gland that is present on top of a tube connecting the bladder to the urethra. As a man ages, this gland enlarges and presses the urethra. This obstructs your urine flow, which means that your bladder does not empty completely and you will need to go several times to the bathroom to empty it.

So, if you are having a problem with frequent urination, you should go to your doctor and get your symptoms checked. You might be suffering from any of these conditions. It is always good to diagnose early and get the condition treated in its initial stages.

79