Causes of Frequent Urination & Remedies

Frequent urination is a bothersome symptom that plagues many, causing sleep deprivation and hampering one’s ability to work, exercise, or carry out daily activities. For those dealing with nocturia, or frequent urination in the middle of the night, this problem can significantly impact their quality of life, leading to fatigue, mood swings, appetite alterations, and brain fog.

Typically, by addressing the underlying condition causing frequent urination, one can manage and alleviate this highly inconvenient symptom. Understanding the potential causes of frequent urination can assist in determining the exact culprit, enabling you to consult with your healthcare provider to formulate a treatment plan.

There are also natural solutions for frequent urination that can help build pelvic muscle strength, avoid food triggers, and retrain your bladder to reduce bathroom visits.

What Is Frequent Urination?

Frequent urination implies the need to urinate more frequently than is considered normal. Two terms are employed to describe this phenomenon: “polyuria” refers to an augmented volume of urine, while “urinary frequency” pertains to passing a normal amount of urine but having the urge to do so more often.

Frequent urination is often accompanied by a sensation known as urinary urgency, which results from involuntary contractions of the bladder muscle. Some individuals experience this feeling overnight, a condition termed nocturia.

Urine consists of wastes and excess fluid and is expelled from the body via the urinary tract. You might not give much thought to all the body components that enable you to urinate several times a day, but it actually requires the seamless collaboration and proper functioning of all parts of the urinary tract.

The kidneys work tirelessly to filter your blood and produce urine. Subsequently, the ureters transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder, where it is stored until the bladder is full and you sense the urge to urinate. At the base of the bladder lies the urethra, composed of muscles that retain urine within the bladder and subsequently permit its exit from the body. However, before urination can occur, the brain must send signals to the muscular bladder wall to contract and to the sphincters surrounding the urethra to enable the passage of urine.

Evidently, urinating is not as straightforward as it appears, and when we encounter issues with the urinary tract, such as frequent urination, it is usually due to an underlying condition affecting one of these body parts. There are numerous health conditions that might cause frequent urination, particularly those influencing the urinary tract.

Signs and Symptoms

It is usually quite straightforward to identify when you are dealing with frequent urination. If you are urinating more than 4–8 times a day and you are not pregnant, you might be contending with an underlying condition causing this symptom. Frequent urination has also been defined as urinating every one to two hours or more than once in the middle of the night.

Frequent urination can affect individuals of all ages, but it is more prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, as well as pregnant women.

For some individuals, frequent urination occurs along with other urinary symptoms, including painful urination, an urgent need to urinate, and blood in the urine. Some people might also experience urinary incontinence, which is the involuntary loss of urine.

Causes and Risk Factors

1. Bladder conditions

A significant cause of frequent urination is a condition that affects your bladder in some manner. This could be an infection or injury to the bladder, or it could be muscle, nerve, or tissue changes that impact bladder function. Some specific bladder-related conditions that might be causing frequent urination include:

• Bladder stones – a buildup of minerals that form in the urinary bladder and occur more frequently in men.
• Overactive bladder – a condition where the bladder is unable to hold urine properly, resulting in problems such as urine incontinence and leaky urine.
• Interstitial cystitis – also known as painful bladder syndrome, this is a chronic condition causing bladder pain and pressure, leading to frequent urination.

2. Prostate conditions

The prostate, a gland located in the male reproductive system just beneath the bladder, can cause frequent urination when there are issues with its health. Such as:

• Enlarged prostate (or BPH) – when the prostate becomes enlarged and exerts pressure on the bladder and urinary tract.
• Prostatitis – an infectious disease involving the prostate gland that can cause symptoms like frequent urination, fever, nausea, vomiting, pain during urination, and an urgent need to urinate.

3. Kidney conditions

Alterations in kidney function or kidney diseases can lead to frequent urination and other symptoms such as kidney pain (right below your rib cage or in your back/abdomen), fluid retention and swelling, indigestion, and high blood pressure.

• Kidney stones – the most common disorder of the urinary tract, kidney stones can cause frequent urination, pain along the kidneys, lower back pain, and discoloration of urine.

4. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes

In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the body attempts to eliminate unused glucose through urine, resulting in frequent urination and a large volume of urine. Besides frequent urination, other common diabetes symptoms include weight changes, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, frequent infections, and dry skin.

• Diabetes insipidus: Diabetes insipidus is a condition that causes excessive thirst and the passage of large amounts of urine (polyuria). It is caused by insufficient vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone secretion.

5. Urinary tract infections

A urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract and causing UTI symptoms such as frequent urination, pain during urination, and a burning sensation in the bladder.

Although you may have a frequent urge to urinate with a UTI, you might only pass small amounts of urine at a time. You may also notice cloudy urine or urine with a strong odor.

6. Sexually transmitted diseases

STDs are on the rise, and since many of them affect the urinary system, they can cause frequent urination. Chlamydia and gonorrhea, in particular, can cause urinary symptoms including frequent urination, painful urination, discharge, and swelling at the urethral opening.

7. Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the growing uterus exerts pressure on the mother’s bladder, resulting in the need for frequent bathroom visits.

8. Stroke

As a stroke can damage nerves in the bladder, it may lead to frequent urination.

9. Certain medications

The following medications or treatments might result in frequent urination:

• Diuretics – used to flush excess fluid from the body or to treat high blood pressure.
• Muscle relaxants and sedatives – these types of medications can relax your bladder and urethra, leading to frequent urination.
• Radiation therapy – radiation to the pelvic area may cause issues with urination.

10. Excess consumption of fluids

Drinking too many fluids close to bedtime can lead to nocturia, or frequent urination overnight. Fluids include water, alcohol, coffee, tea, soda, and other carbonated beverages.

11. Nervous tension

Occasionally, frequent urination can be attributed to nervous tension or a psychiatric issue. This typically involves a person urinating more frequently for only a few hours at a time when stress or anxiety levels are high.

Conventional Treatment

Before receiving treatment for frequent urination, your healthcare professional must determine the root cause of the issue. They will conduct tests and perform a physical examination to identify the underlying cause of your frequent urination.

You will also need to provide a urine sample to check for infections or abnormalities. Further testing might be necessary if your doctor suspects that the problem is related to your bladder or urinary tract.

Once the underlying cause of your frequent urination is identified, your doctor or healthcare provider will recommend a treatment plan. This could involve antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection or an anticholinergic, which is used to improve the symptoms of an overactive bladder.

If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you will need to make dietary and lifestyle changes and develop a treatment plan with your doctor.

Natural Remedies

1. Pelvic Floor Training

Pelvic floor muscle exercises are often one of the initial treatment approaches for urinary problems such as incontinence, overactive bladder, and frequent urination. These exercises enhance the strength, coordination, and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor training is a form of exercise that involves muscle clenching.

One type of pelvic floor training is kegel exercises, which help strengthen the muscles surrounding your urethra. When you clench these muscles by contracting and then relaxing them, they become stronger, allowing you to better control the act of urination. For individuals dealing with frequent urination, kegels can provide support to your bladder.

2. Bladder Training

Did you know that your bladder can be trained? Some people unknowingly develop bad habits with their bladders. For instance, those dealing with frequent urination might be training their bladder to empty more frequently before it is actually full. Thus, you feel the urge to urinate even when it’s not truly necessary yet.

But with bladder training, you can establish a new urination schedule. Here’s how it works: Start by recording the times you urinate in a journal for 1–2 days. Determine approximately how many hours you wait between bathroom breaks. Then, select an interval for training. For example, if you urinate every two hours and choose a starting interval of 10 minutes, aim to urinate every two hours and 10 minutes as part of your training.

Do your best to wait the set amount of time before urinating again. If you don’t feel the need to urinate when the interval arrives, do it anyway. If you have the urge to urinate before it’s time, try distraction techniques like taking deep breaths, relaxing your body, sitting in a chair and leaning down, which should alleviate some pressure.

Once you are comfortable with your first interval, increase it by 10–15 minutes and continue following this pattern until your urination frequency decreases.

3. Watch Your Fluid Intake

It is crucial to monitor your fluid intake as you need to ensure adequate hydration, but also avoid excessive fluid consumption (especially alcohol, caffeine, and soda) as this can lead to more frequent bathroom trips.

Reducing fluid intake before bedtime can be beneficial to prevent nocturia. Try to avoid drinking any liquids after dinnertime, unless you are feeling particularly thirsty or dehydrated.

4. Check Your Medications

Research indicates that numerous medications can lead to frequent urination and other urinary issues, such as incontinence. Diuretics, which are used to increase urine production by the kidneys, can undoubtedly cause frequent urination. Muscle relaxants, sedatives, and alpha-adrenergic antagonists might also contribute to frequent urination as they relax the urethra or bladder.

In a cross-sectional study involving 390 patients aged 60 years and older seeking care for urinary symptoms, specifically incontinence, 60.5 percent of them were taking medications that potentially contributed to their conditions. These medications included calcium channel blockers, benzodiazepines, ACE inhibitors, and estrogens.

Some other drugs that may cause frequent urination and other urinary symptoms include antipsychotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, and anticonvulsants.

5. Modify Your Diet

Research suggests that your dietary choices can have an impact on the health of your urinary system. Certain foods and beverages can trigger urinary symptoms like frequent urination and should be avoided. This includes the following:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Caffeinated beverages
• Soda and other carbonated beverages
• Citrus fruits and juices
• Artificial sweeteners
• Foods high in sugar
• Spicy foods
• Conventional milk products

Foods that can be beneficial for the health of your urinary system include those rich in vitamin C and foods containing beta-cryptoxanthin, a vitamin A carotenoid. Such foods include:

• Kiwi
• Guava
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Carrots
• Sweet peppers
• Green peppers
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Parsley

Research also indicates that consuming probiotic foods like kefir, fermented vegetables, and probiotic yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of urinary tract infections, one of the major causes of frequent urination.

6. Treat the Cause

As you may have noticed from the extensive list of causes of frequent urination, this symptom can be the result of many underlying conditions, such as bladder conditions, urinary tract infections, type 2 diabetes, or pregnancy. If your frequent urination persists even after attempting these natural treatments, you must focus on the root cause of the issue and address that condition.

If you are unsure about the cause of your frequent urination, consult with your doctor or healthcare provider so that they can conduct a physical examination, ask you relevant questions, and run necessary tests.

Precautions

If you are dealing with frequent urination and develop a fever, pain in your back, abdomen, or side, chills, painful urination, loss of bladder control, increased thirst, bloody or cloudy urine, or vomiting, contact your doctor or healthcare provider immediately.

These are signs that you have an infection or a condition affecting your bladder or kidneys. Your healthcare provider will be able to conduct tests and determine the cause of these symptoms.

Final Thoughts

• Frequent urination is the need to urinate more frequently than usual. There are two terms that are used to describe frequent urination: “polyuria,” which refers to an increased volume of urine and “urinary frequency,” which refers to the passing of a normal amount of urine, but the urge to go more often.
• Some people struggle with nocturia, which is frequent urination at night that hinders your ability to sleep and get the rest you need to function properly during the day.
• Frequent urination is commonly a symptom of another underlying condition. There are many health conditions that can cause frequent urination.
• Besides treating the underlying condition that’s causing frequent urination, natural treatments that you can try at home include pelvic floor training, bladder training, watching your fluid intake, checking your medications, modifying your diet and treating the cause.