Urination is a way in which the body gets rid of wastes and excess water. It is important for the survival of an individual, however, when it happens too frequently, it can easily interfere with the quality of life of a woman. The frequent trips you make to the bathroom and not sleeping at night or not going to places because you fear that you will leak urine, all can be disturbing to a woman. The Cleveland Clinic points out that the number of times an average person may urinate is about 6 to 8 times within 24 hours. However, the number of times a person urinates may vary based on the amount of fluids they drink and the way their kidneys are working.
If you are urinating frequently than normal, it can make you to be uncomfortable, and you feel as though the bladder is exceedingly full. Your urge to urinate can strike suddenly and make you lose control over the bladder. Frequent urination may also be termed as overactive bladder.
A person is said to have frequent urination if he or she is empting the bladder eight or more times within a period of 24 hours. Treatment of frequent urination usually involves addressing the issue that is causing it. If the urge to urinate is occurring mainly at night, it may be referred nocturia.
Urinary frequency may arise due to different things that range from minor ones that are easily treated to serious and rare diseases. Urinary frequency may not always be as a result of bladder dysfunction. Although urinating frequently may not indicate a serious issue, if it begins to affect your day-to-day activities, you need to consult a physician or an urologist.
Frequent Urination – causes (in women)
A woman may urinate frequently because of drinking too much fluids that heighten the production of urine or things that irritate the bladder. Having excess intake of caffeine contained in certain soft drinks, tea, and coffee can make a woman to urinate frequently. Some medical conditions may also cause the problem, for example:
UTCs: Having urinary tract infections is considered one of the common causes of urinating too frequently. Urinary tract infections can occur when bacteria pass through the urethra to enter the bladder. About 50 to 60 percent females will have at least an UTI in the course of their life. About a third of women also experience an UTI before they attain the age of 24 and the infection is severe that it requires the administration of an antibiotic. One reason why women tend to be vulnerable to UTIs is because of the length of their urethra, it is usually shorter than that of men. This means that bacteria will travel a shorter distance before they can reach the urinary tract and cause an infection and the associated symptoms.
In women, UTIs may be contributed to by improper wiping, that’s from back to front once they have used the toilet. This exposes their urethra to E.coli bacteria. Other contributing factors are; holding urine for extended periods of time, not staying hydrated, and not empting the bladder in full. Having sexual intercourse may also transfer bacteria to the women’s urinary tract. During pregnancy, there are changes within woman’s urinary tract system that make them vulnerable to getting UTI infection.
Overactive bladder: The American Urological Association estimates that over 33 million Americans suffer from overactive bladder. This condition may cause frequent urination among women. Overact bladder affects about 40 percent of women in America and it presents with symptoms like nocturia or having the need to urinate frequently at tight, passing urine frequently than normal, or have a sudden urge to pass urine, which may at times result in leaks. Overact bladder may be caused by injuries, excess body weight, estrogen deficiency as a result of menopause, and conditions that affect the muscles, tissues, and nerves like multiple sclerosis or stroke.
Menopause: When women reach menopause and they are no longer getting their periods, it affects the control of bladder. At this stage, the body of a woman stops making estrogen, a hormone that may impact the urethra and bladder linings resulting in increased frequency to urinate.
Pregnancy: The woman’s growing uterus may create more pressure on her bladder at time of pregnancy. This makes the woman to visit the bathroom more times than normal.
Obesity: Having excessive weight may exert pressure on the bladder of a woman. When this happens, the pelvic floor muscles tend to weaken triggering the need to urinate frequently.
Other causes of urinating too frequently may include:
- Diabetes
- Bladder stones
- Interstitial cystitis
- Alcohol
- Bladder nerve damage
Frequent urination before period
It is common for women to experience frequent urination before period. This is because women tend to retain more body fluids during this time.
Symptoms Accompanying Frequent Urination
Besides the increased need to pass urine, a woman may have other symptoms that could help a doctor to find the potential cause. These include:
- A sudden, strong urge for a woman to urinate
- Change in urine color, for example cola-colored, pink, or red
- Pain or burning sensation when a woman urinates
- Having trouble with fully empting the bladder
- Leaking urine
- Losing control over a woman’s bladder
Diagnosis
If a woman is urinating frequently, a doctor may order tests to find out the cause. The doctor will ask questions to learn more about the condition. He or she may want to know when a woman started urinating frequently and how often she does it. The doctor may also want to know what other symptoms a woman could be experiencing and if they have had any unexpected leakage.
A urine sample for test for blood infection and other anomalies like sugar or protein may be taken. A physical exam of the woman’s abdomen as well as pelvis may be conducted and it may include a pelvic examination to check the vagina and urethra. Other tests that may be ordered by a doctor include:
- Urinary or urodynamic testing that involves various tests aimed at looking on how the urinary system if functioning
- Cystoscopy – an imaging test that uses a lighted instrument. A doctor uses the instrument to have a closer look of the bladder and get tissue samples if required for testing.
- Bladder scan uses ultrasound device to get images of the bladder when a woman urinates to find out the amount of urine left behind.
- Cystometry is a test that helps to measure the pressure within the bladder
- If there is concern that a woman may have cancer in her bladder, urine samples may be taken to check for abnormal cells or cytology.
Frequent Urination – Treatment
Depending on what is causing a woman to empty her bladder frequently than normal, a doctor may offer different kinds of treatment. If an infection is the culprit, a doctor will administer antibiotics to help fight bacteria.
Some of the medications that doctors prescribe to treat increased frequency to urinate are:
- oxybutynin (Ditropan)
- imipramine (Tofranil)
- tolterodine extended-release (Detrol)
- mirabegron (Myrbetriq)
In the event that a woman is urinating frequently due to loss of bladder control or muscle spasms, medications may also be prescribed. Exercises like Kegels and bladder retraining exercises may also help, but these options should be discussed with the physician. Acupuncture may be used to treat urinary conditions like urinary incontinence and overactive bladder. The British Medical Journal points out that that studies are underway to find out the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating overactive bladder.
If bladder prolapse is identified as the cause of frequent urination, surgery may be done. Neurostimulator implants can help control pelvic or bladder function while estrogen replacement helps restore normalcy in urination if the problem is caused by vaginal atrophy.
If constipation is making a woman to empty her bladder frequently, she may want to increase her fiber intake to help maintain regularity.
