Everyone urinates. But how do you know if you’re urinating more than is normal, and what causes frequent urination in men? Understanding how to identify frequent urination can help you catch potential problems early and address them.
What is Considered Frequent Urination?
To start with, urination is the natural process by which your body removes liquid waste. Urine is the result of your kidneys filtering blood to remove extra fluid and waste. From your kidneys, urine is stored in your bladder until your body signals that it needs to be released. For most people, urination is a pretty regular, painless, and otherwise innocuous event.
We’ve all had days where we need to use the restroom to urinate more than usual. This can often be pinpointed as being a result of external factors like drinking more fluid than we normally might or being nervous before a big event. Most adequately hydrated people may visit the restroom to urinate every few hours, and generally less frequently while sleeping.
But what is frequent urination? For urination to be considered frequent to the degree that it may need medical attention, a man must be urinating more than he usually does for an extended period of time. In other words, 1-2 days of more frequent urination isn’t always cause for concern, whereas a noticeable difference in regular urinary habits should receive attention.
Frequent urination in men at night is also common. Many men diagnosed with this are getting up to use the restroom at least 3 times per night.
Common Causes of Frequent Urination in Men
If you’re not regularly drinking more fluid than you need to be, yet you’re still visiting the restroom more than usual, you’re likely dealing with frequent urination. This can be caused by a number of factors among men.
What causes frequent urination in men? Some common causes include the following:
Prostate Issues
Can the prostate cause frequent urination? Yes! One of the most common causes of frequent urination in men is benign prostate hyperplasia, or BPH. This is a condition characterized by a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland over time. As the prostate becomes bigger, it puts pressure on the urethra.
This can irritate the bladder, block urinary flow, and cause it to contract more frequently, resulting in a sense of having to go to the restroom. Another common male issue is prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate, which may have a bacterial component.
Diabetes
If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, frequent urination can be a common occurrence. This is because urination is your body’s way of getting rid of excess glucose or sugar circulating in your bloodstream. If you notice this happening, it’s best to speak to your healthcare provider to make sure you don’t need to make adjustments to your glucose management regimen.
Using Diuretics
Diuretics are medications designed to help remove excess fluid from your body. As a result, they can increase the frequency of urination. These are often prescribed to help treat high blood pressure, as well as manage fluid retention that can accompany conditions like heart failure, kidney failure and cirrhosis of the liver.
Overactive Bladder Syndrome
When someone has overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), the symptoms are exactly how they sound. This means your bladder experiences involuntary contractions that make you feel like you have to urinate suddenly and frequently. It may also cause leaking.
Neurological Disease
People who suffer from neurological diseases and/or have issues with brain function or nerve damage may also be afflicted by frequent urination due to negative affects on their bladder.
Frequent Urination Symptoms
Frequent urination is considered the need to relieve your bladder more than you normally would. Additionally, frequent urination is also often accompanied by pain, burning, or stinging. Painful urination is called dysuria, which may require medical treatment.
If you have the following symptoms of frequent urination, it’s best to see your healthcare provider as soon as you can:
- Pain with urination.
- Pain in your side, groin, or lower abdomen.
- A sudden onset of strong urges to urinate frequency .
- Trouble urinating or emptying your bladder fully, even though you feel like you need to go.
- Presence of blood in urine or or dark-colored urine.
- Discharge.
- Fever.
- Loss of the ability to control your bladder or urination habits.
How to Treat Frequent Urination
If you’re experiencing frequent urination and cannot pinpoint an obvious cause, the first thing you should do is seek a medical evaluation from your healthcare provider. This way, if there are underlying medical causes, they can be appropriately treated.
There may also be other things you can try at home to help minimize frequent urination symptoms. For example, think about how much fluid you drink during the day and whether you tend to drink a lot at night before bed. If this is the case, try spacing your fluid intake out more evenly and consuming more in the morning than at night. You might also avoid fluids too close to bedtime to make sure you’re not filling your bladder with extra liquid before you lay down.
Another idea is to avoid foods and drinks that may actually promote frequent urination. Some of these include caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. The effects of these on urination habits may differ between people, so pay attention to whether they make a difference.
You can also try doing kegel exercises. These are easy to do at home and can help strengthen the muscles around your urethra and bladder. Stronger muscles in these areas may help reduce frequent urination.
You may also consider adding a supplement designed to improve prostate health, like ProstaGenix Multiphase Prostate Support. Designed with ingredients shown to be effective for alleviating symptoms of BPH, including frequent urination and pain in men, ProstaGenix has countless positive reviews from men who have been in your shoes.
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References
- Shteynshlyuger, A. “Frequent Urination at Night in Men over 45: Enlarged Prostate Specialist in NYC.” Available from: https://www.newyorkurologyspecialists.com/bph/symptoms/urination-night/
- “For men urinating too much: causes and treatments.” My Southern Health. Available from: https://www.mysouthernhealth.com/urinating-too-much-men/
- Denver Urology Associates. “Frequent or Painful Urination.” Available from: https://denverurology.com/urology/bladder-urinary-conditions/frequent-or-painful-urination/