Frequent urination, bladder weakness, frequent urination, frequent urination are colloquial terms for pollakiuria and polyuria. It is often the case that there is only an increased urge to urinate without actually having an increased amount of urine in the bladder. There are different forms of frequent urination. Polyuria is an abnormally increased urine output with increased thirst. Pollakisuria is characterized by frequent urination in small amounts, in which the total amount of urine is not increased.
What is frequent urination?
Frequent urination can be defined as increased excretion of urine, reaching at least 2 liters within 24 hours (polyuria). Frequent urination can be defined as increased excretion of urine, reaching at least 2 liters within 24 hours (polyuria). In order to compensate for the fluid losses, affected persons experience increased thirst. This occurs especially in diabetes mellitus. Fatigue and weight loss can be accompanying symptoms. If the frequent urination tends to occur in smaller quantities, doctors refer to it as pollakiuria. The difference to polyuria is that the amount of urine is not increased compared to normal. Bladder infections can be responsible for this. In this case, there is often a burning sensation and pain when urinating. Pressure pain may also occur, which should mean going to the doctor to rule out bladder cancer.
Causes
The fact that humans produce about one and a half liters of urine every day is completely normal. The urine itself forms in the kidneys and then collects in the urinary bladder. Concentrated toxins and waste products are also excreted with the urine. Once the bladder is full, one feels the familiar urge to urinate. If a person consumes more fluid than he or she needs, the amount of urine also increases. There are different forms of unnatural urination. In polyuria, there is an abnormally increased urine output of considerably more than 2 liters in 24 hours. This also leads to an increased thirst (polydipsia) to compensate for the fluid losses. Nevertheless, a so-called exsiccosis (dehydration) often occurs. Causes are mostly diabetes mellitus, acute kidney failure, medication, alcohol, coffee and heart failure. Nocturia is a subtype of polyuria, but it usually occurs only at night. Pollakisuria refers to frequent urination in small amounts. The total amount of urine excreted is not increased. Pollakisuria is a common symptom of diseases of the urinary tract. Pollakisuria can be triggered by urinary tract infections, such as cystitis, a kidney pelvis infection, prostatitis, stressful situations or pregnancy, among others. Pollakiuria should not be confused with overflow incontinence, which can occur when the bladder is obstructed in its outlet, for example, benign prostatic enlargement. In contrast to pollakiuria, the bladder is filled to the maximum and there is passive loss of small amounts of urine without the bladder emptying sufficiently.
Diseases with this symptom
- Diabetes mellitus
- Enuresis
- Irritable bladder
- Acidosis
- Bladder cancer
- Pollakiuria
- Acute renal failure
- Incontinence
- Prostatitis
- Cystitis
- Heart failure
- Chlamydia infection
Diagnosis and course
Frequent urination is not a disease, but a characteristic of one. In order for a physician to determine the condition, he must first enter into a discussion with the patient to learn the onset and occurrence of the increased urination. Blood and urine tests, as well as urinary tract and prostate ultrasound examinations, usually lead to a diagnosis, along with cystoscopies. Frequent urination is manifested by a greatly increased urge to urinate. The amount of urine can be increased compared to a healthy person (for example, 2 liters within a day), but a constant amount is also possible. The fact that the sensation of needing to urinate occurs much more frequently can be discovered in the case of cystitis. This is associated with pain and a burning sensation.Already from 8 times urination per day is spoken of a pathological symptom, cases with 100 times are also known.
Complications
In frequent urination (polyuria), more than four liters of urine are excreted within 24 hours. This may be due to a variety of causes, which involve various complications. In general, a lot of fluid is lost during frequent urination, which can dehydrate the body, leading to exsiccosis. Especially old people are affected by this, because they do not drink enough. The exsiccosis easily leads to an increased blood pressure, because the blood volume is reduced and this can lead in the worst case to a heart attack. Further, polyuria can lead to oliguria, which is a decreased urine flow, which can further lead to kidney failure. Frequent urination is found specifically, for example, in the disease diabetes. If left untreated, diabetes can have a wide variety of complications. On the one hand, the blockage of the vessels leads to reduced blood supply, especially in the area of the nerves, in the eye or in the foot. Diabetic polyneuropathies with insensations, blindness or a diabetic foot can be the consequences. A urinary tract infection also entails frequent urination. These can heal spontaneously if they are uncomplicated or must be treated with medication in the case of more complicated urinary tract infections. If left untreated, the bacterial-triggered urinary tract infection can lead to systemic spread of the bacteria, sepsis, which leads to death in more than 60 percent of cases.
When should you go to the doctor?
Frequent urination is hardly noticeable to many people at first. It can have very many causes, some of which are completely harmless. Drinks such as coffee and some teas drift, which is why hardly anyone visits a doctor. But there are also diagnoses that can be as different as diabetes and bladder weakness. In this respect, a visit to the doctor is definitely advisable if increased urination becomes a constant companion. A separate examination of the frequency is helpful for the doctor. How long has frequent urination lasted? How many times a day do those affected have to go to the toilet? The family doctor is usually the first point of contact and will get an accurate picture. An internist can also be consulted. The urologist is the specialist for the bladder and, if no other reason can be found, will certainly be consulted by the general practitioner. The frequent urination is likely to be unpleasant for the person concerned himself. In company, it is noticeable to the partner or friends that the person concerned very often rushes to the quiet little toilet. Anyone who cannot give a plausible answer to questions about the cause should definitely go to the doctor in case of frequent urination.
Treatment and therapy
First of all, the doctor should be visited once. This will now ask questions about the time of day (day – night), increased or unchanged amount of urine, increased thirst, taking medication and alcohol and coffee consumption. This will help the doctor determine the type of increased urination and diagnose its cause. If necessary, he may also ask the patient to keep a diary of urination. This should list when and in what situations the increased urge to urinate occurs, what was drunk and what was eaten. In addition to the interview, the doctor will also take blood samples to measure blood sugar, electrolyte concentration and hematocrit. Furthermore, the urine values are determined. If a cause has now been determined, further examinations may be performed. These may include a cystoscopy and an ultrasound examination of the prostate and urinary tract. In addition, measurements are taken to determine how much urine can be stored in the bladder, whether the urethra closes properly, and whether the pelvic muscles are working properly. In case of heart failure and other heart causes, these are treated primarily. Since the causes can be very different, therapy for increased urination is always individual. Bladder training can help if there are no organic causes. This involves keeping a log of toilet visits and suppressing the unnatural urge to urinate. The goal of the therapy is to return the bladder to its original capacity. Furthermore, there are also medications that can treat frequent urination.
- Men: alpha blockers that relax the muscle cells of the prostate and increase the urine outlet.
- Anticholinergics and spasmolytics, to reduce the ability of the bladder muscles to contract.
Psychotherapy may help if urination has psychological causes. Even learning relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, acupuncture or autogenic training can help those affected. If other causes such as diabetes or prostate enlargement are the cause of increased urination, therapy should be started for these conditions.
Outlook and prognosis
Frequent urination can have various causes and this is precisely a criterion in terms of the associated prognosis. Thus, there are some reasons for frequent going to the toilet that are rather harmless and therefore associated with positive medical outlook. Excessive drinking in summer or during sports is a classic reason, as is pregnancy, which brings frequent urination as one of the initial symptoms shortly after conception. Treatment is not necessary here, of course. Irritable bladder and even cystitis often have a favorable prognosis without therapeutic intervention. However, cystitis in persistent cases can also take a negative course and is often difficult to treat with recurrent bacterial colonization. The same applies to prostatitis in men. Treatment is absolutely necessary if the frequency of urination is related to benign prostate enlargement. In this case, surgery is the only option that reliably eliminates the symptom. It is difficult to assess the prognosis of frequent urination triggered by heart failure or the metabolic disease diabetes mellitus (diabetes). Here, the success of therapy depends on the progression of the underlying disease, possible other diseases, and the patient’s age and general health.
Home remedies and herbs for frequent urination
- A bearberry leaf tea is used for cystitis.
What you can do yourself
To reduce nocturnal urge to urinate, it is often enough to reduce the consumption of alcohol and coffee and to avoid other stimulants. In addition, pelvic floor exercises and avoiding stress and diuretic activities help. The bladder itself can also be exercised by drinking plenty of fluids regularly. Exercise and a healthy diet contribute to healthy bladder function, making them among the most effective remedies for frequent urination. Frequent urination in the context of an irritable bladder should first be recorded with the help of a micturition diary and then analyzed together with the family doctor. In addition, there are a number of natural helpers: pumpkin seeds help with all kinds of prostate complaints, preparations with bearberry leaves soothe the bladder and reduce nocturnal urination. Goldenrod herb has a diuretic effect and can contribute to better urinary control, and chamomile prevents irritable bladder. In addition, in the case of frequent urination, it is always important to first rule out possible underlying conditions such as diabetes mellitus and to keep a record of the urge to urinate. If the symptoms persist despite everything, an internist or urologist should be consulted to clarify the causes.