A lot of people wonder how often they should urinate in a day. While there is no set bathroom frequency, people tend to urinate on an average of 6 to 7 times daily. There are many factors that play a role in the frequency of urination. Some of the factors include medications, supplements, foods, beverages, medical conditions all play a role in how many times an individual would pee.
The purpose of this piece is to focus on urination, and everything you need to know about the bathroom frequency, and conditions that play a role in determining how much and how many times you urinate.
What Is The Healthy Urinary Frequency?
Studies have shown that most people urinate about 6 to 7 times daily. Peeing between 4 and 10 times per day may be considered normal if the frequency doesn’t interfere with the productivity and the quality of life of the individual. The frequency of urination depends on many factors such as the following:
- Age:
- Bladder size
- Fluid intake
- Medical conditions: Examples of medical conditions that can lead to an increase in the frequency of urination include diabetes mellitus and urinary tract infections.
- The use of medications: Examples of medications that could increase the frequency of urination include medications used in the treatment of blood pressure, supplements and so on.
Urination during Pregnancy
There are a lot of changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy. This includes both physical and hormonal. The hormonal changes and pressure on the bladder involved in pregnancy cause an increase in the urinary output. This makes pregnancy women have an increased frequency of urination. This may continue for up to 2 months after giving birth.
What Are The Symptoms Of An Increased Bathroom Frequency?
An increased bathroom frequency may be an indication of an underlying condition, especially when it’s accompanied by other symptoms. Some of the symptoms that may accompany an increased bathroom frequency include the following:
- Back pain
- Persons experiencing an increased bathroom frequency may present with blood in the urine.
- Presence of cloudy or discolored urine.
- Persons affected with this condition may also experience difficulty passing urine.
- Fever
- Increased bathroom frequency may be accompanied by pain when peeing.
- The urine of a patient may have a strong smell.
It’s important to consult your physician if you notice any sudden or dramatic change in urinary frequency or output, even if it’s between the normal ranges.
What Factors Contribute To Urinary Frequency?
There are various factors that play a role in urinary frequency. As an illustration, consuming large amounts of fluids, and taking drinks that contain caffeine may increase your urinary frequency. However, having a dramatic change in urinary frequency may be an indication of a serious underlying condition. Some of the underlying conditions that could change the urinary frequency include the following:
- Urinary tract infection: Urinary tract infection is an infection that affects any part of the urinary system. The components of the urinary system include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most of the infections in the urinary system mostly affect the lower urinary tract. Studies have shown that woman have a higher risk of developing a urinary tract infection, as compared to men. Infections that are limited to the bladder do cause a lot of pain and discomfort. This condition can lead to serious complications if not well managed. Some of the common symptoms of urinary tract infection include a strong, persistent urge to urinate, a burning sensation when peeing, an increased frequency of urination, cloudy urine, strong smelling urine, pelvic pain and so on. It’s common for urinary tract infection to be mistaken for other conditions, especially in adults mainly because of the similarities it has with other conditions. Physicians treat this condition by giving patients antibiotics. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing urinary tract infections. Some of the include consuming a large number of fluids, especially water. Wiping from front to back, especially when you’re a lady, emptying your bladder soon after sexual intercourse and so on.
- Overactive bladder: This is a condition in which there is a frequent need to urinate to a degree that negatively affects a person’s life. The increase in the frequency to urinate may occur at night, day or both in some cases. If there is a loss of bladder control, then this condition is known as urge incontinence. Studies have shown that more than 40% of people affected with overactive bladder do have incontinence. The exact cause of this condition is not known yet, however, there are factors that increase the risk of developing an overactive bladder. Some of these factors include obesity, caffeine consumption, and constipation. Most cases of overactive bladder are treatable.
- Interstitial cystitis: This is a chronic condition that causes increased pressure in the bladder, and also leads to pain in the bladder. The severity of this condition varies from mild to severe, and this condition is part of a spectrum of diseases known as painful bladder syndrome. The signs and symptoms of this condition vary from person to person. Some of the common symptoms of interstitial cystitis include the following:
- Patients may feel pain in the pelvis and between the vagina and anus in women.
- In men, this may present as pain between the scrotum and anus.
- Patients generally feel chronic pelvic pain.
- Patients may feel a persistent and urgent need to urinate.
- Increased bathroom frequency.
- Pain during sexual intercourse.
It’s important to go see a physician if you experience any of the signs and symptoms above.
- Prostate problems: An enlarged prostate causes a person to have an increased bathroom frequency. The bigger the prostate gets, the more difficult it is for the affected individual to pass urine.
- Pelvic floor weakness: People with a weak pelvic floor tend to urinate more frequently. The weaker the pelvic muscles get, the more often people pee. The most common condition that weakens the pelvic floor is childbirth.
References
Conditions, B., & Frequency, U. (2019). Normal Urinary Frequency – Bladder & Bowel Community. Retrieved from https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bladder/bladder-conditions-and-symptoms/frequency/
https://www.health.com. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.health.com/digestive-health/how-often-should-you-poop
