Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesSee a Healthcare ProviderDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
See a Healthcare Provider
Diagnosis
Treatment
The most likely reasons for frequent voiding are urinary tract infections (UTI) and medication side effects. A persistent urge to urinate, though, could indicate a chronic condition like diabetes or interstitial cystitis.
This article discusses frequent urination. It explains common reasons why you may feel the urge to pee more often and when to see your healthcare provider about a persistent urge to urinate.
Frequent Urination Symptoms
The obvious symptom of frequent urination is just that—needing to urinate more often than usual. It might happen during the day or more at night, a condition callednocturia.
Symptoms can include the following:
Urinary frequency may occur on its own or with other symptoms, such as fever, pain, or increased thirst. Be sure to let your healthcare provider know if you’re experiencing any other symptoms along with urinary frequency.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Causes of Frequent Urination
Your healthcare provider will review your symptoms when determining the likely cause of your urinary frequency. Some of these causes include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
See your healthcare provider promptly if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Frequent urination can be a symptom of many different conditions. Your healthcare provider will usually perform a physical exam and ask whether you are on any medications, have any symptoms of infection, or have had any change in your eating or drinking habits.
Your healthcare provider will also likely ask for a urine sample to check for bacteria (urine culture) or white blood cells (urinalysis) that could indicate an infection. If red blood cells are confirmed (three or more), urine cytology will be ordered.Other possible tests include:
Bladder Cancer in Men Symptoms and Diagnosis
Treating Frequent Urination
Treating the underlying condition is usually the best way todeal with frequent urination. This may mean controlling a person’s diabetes, treating a urinary tract infection with antibiotics, or undergoing cancer therapy.
Overactive Bladder Treatments
If the condition is diagnosed asoveractive bladder,treatment may include:
It may also includeanticholinergicmedications, such as Oxytrol (oxybutynin) or a beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist medication—such as Myrbetriq (mirabegron) or Gemtesa (vibegron)—botox injection, or other procedures to modulate the sacral nerves or other nerves.
Bladder training entails keeping to a strict urination schedule and increasing the time between when you empty your bladder. The aim is to increase the amount of time between urinating and how much liquid your bladder can hold.Your healthcare provider may also prescribe a medicine that calms the muscles and nerves.
How Overactive Bladder (OAB) Self-Care Relieves and Controls Symptoms
Interstitial Cystitis Treatments
Interstitial cystitisdoesn’t have a cure, but some treatments may ease your symptoms. These can include:
There are some causes of nighttime urination thatcan be controlled. The best thing you can do is to reduce how much you drink at night. This is especially true in the four to six hours before bedtime.
What Is Lovage?
Summary
Frequent urination can be annoying and embarrassing. But more than that, it may be a sign of infection or disease.
Call your healthcare provider if you’re urinating more than usual. They’ll talk with you about any recent changes to your fluid intake, do an exam, and potentially order some tests to find out the underlying cause of your frequent urination.
Some treatments can help, but the treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the urinary frequency.
How Overactive Bladder Is Treated
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Andersson KE, Boedtkjer DB, Forman A.The link between vascular dysfunction, bladder ischemia, and aging bladder dysfunction.Ther Adv Urol. 2017;9(1):11-27. doi:10.1177/1756287216675778MedlinePlus.Frequent or urgent urination.Chang SS, Boorjian SA, Chou R, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: AUA/SUO guideline.J Urol.2016;196: 1021.MedlinePlus.Interstitial cystitis.American Urological Association.The AUA/SUFU guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder.Urology Care Foundation.Overactive bladder: patient guide.MedlinePlus.Overactive bladder.Penn Medicine.Pelvic organ prolapse.National Cancer Institute.Side effects of cancer treatment: urinary and bladder problems.MedlinePlus.Urinary tract infection-adults.Penn Medicine.Frequent urination.University of California San Francisco.Bladder training.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Andersson KE, Boedtkjer DB, Forman A.The link between vascular dysfunction, bladder ischemia, and aging bladder dysfunction.Ther Adv Urol. 2017;9(1):11-27. doi:10.1177/1756287216675778MedlinePlus.Frequent or urgent urination.Chang SS, Boorjian SA, Chou R, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: AUA/SUO guideline.J Urol.2016;196: 1021.MedlinePlus.Interstitial cystitis.American Urological Association.The AUA/SUFU guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder.Urology Care Foundation.Overactive bladder: patient guide.MedlinePlus.Overactive bladder.Penn Medicine.Pelvic organ prolapse.National Cancer Institute.Side effects of cancer treatment: urinary and bladder problems.MedlinePlus.Urinary tract infection-adults.Penn Medicine.Frequent urination.University of California San Francisco.Bladder training.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Andersson KE, Boedtkjer DB, Forman A.The link between vascular dysfunction, bladder ischemia, and aging bladder dysfunction.Ther Adv Urol. 2017;9(1):11-27. doi:10.1177/1756287216675778MedlinePlus.Frequent or urgent urination.Chang SS, Boorjian SA, Chou R, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: AUA/SUO guideline.J Urol.2016;196: 1021.MedlinePlus.Interstitial cystitis.American Urological Association.The AUA/SUFU guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder.Urology Care Foundation.Overactive bladder: patient guide.MedlinePlus.Overactive bladder.Penn Medicine.Pelvic organ prolapse.National Cancer Institute.Side effects of cancer treatment: urinary and bladder problems.MedlinePlus.Urinary tract infection-adults.Penn Medicine.Frequent urination.University of California San Francisco.Bladder training.
Andersson KE, Boedtkjer DB, Forman A.The link between vascular dysfunction, bladder ischemia, and aging bladder dysfunction.Ther Adv Urol. 2017;9(1):11-27. doi:10.1177/1756287216675778
MedlinePlus.Frequent or urgent urination.
Chang SS, Boorjian SA, Chou R, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: AUA/SUO guideline.J Urol.2016;196: 1021.
MedlinePlus.Interstitial cystitis.
American Urological Association.The AUA/SUFU guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder.
Urology Care Foundation.Overactive bladder: patient guide.
MedlinePlus.Overactive bladder.
Penn Medicine.Pelvic organ prolapse.
National Cancer Institute.Side effects of cancer treatment: urinary and bladder problems.
MedlinePlus.Urinary tract infection-adults.
Penn Medicine.Frequent urination.
University of California San Francisco.Bladder training.
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