How often do you pee every day? Perhaps this is something you’ve never actually paid attention to. If you are someone who finds themselves often making a trip to the bathroom, you may have asked yourself how often is considered normal? The reality is that how many times you go pee throughout the day is highly personal, and therefore the range of what is considered ‘normal’ is quite large. For adults, this can be anywhere from four to seven times per day. More or less, however, can also be completely normal. The thing is, there are so many factors that affect your frequency of urination.
How much water you drink, what kinds of foods you are eating, how much you sweat and exercise, your stress level – the list goes on and on. That being said, there is a certain amount of urination (and in particular, the urgency of that need to go) that can be disruptive to your daily life. Frequent urination is a common issue that can be, quite frankly, frustrating, and it also can indicate underlying health concerns. Here’s a comprehensive overview of what frequent urination entails, its symptoms, possible causes, and available treatments.
Do You Suffer From Frequent Urination?
Not sure if you are peeing more often than you should be? If you pay attention, your body will send you some signals letting you know that this is not necessarily normal. The first thing to do is to do some basic tracking. The most simple of these is to track how often you are peeing each day. From there, you can get more specific. Write down how badly you felt you needed to go before you went, and if that urgency built up slowly or if it was all-of-the-sudden. Write down roughly how much you urinated and the color of that urine, as well as time of day. In addition, to get more specific, you can even track other things, such as how much water you drank (consider in milliliters or cups per hour), what other beverages you drank (include coffee, tea, electrolyte drinks, flavored waters, etc), what food you are eating, and even include sweating and exercise. This will help you to have a comprehensive understanding of your own personal intake vs output. Keep in mind that other factors, such as your age, biological sex, and medications will also impact how often you need to go pee.
What Your Urine Says About Your Health
Urine is an important indicator of our health, though few of us actually know what it is. Urine is created when blood passes through the kidneys. The kidneys then filter our waste and excess water, which is what becomes our urine. This waste water travels through tubes called ureters to the bladder, where it is stored until there is enough accumulated for you to urinate. When the bladder is full, nerves in the bladder will send signals to the brain for you to urinate.
Your urine can tell you a lot about what’s going on with your health. The signals come in how the urine looks, smells, and its frequency. Signals that mean something might be wrong include dark, discolored, or cloudy urine, blood in the urine, pain during urination, or an increase in urgency and frequency to urinate.
Interpreting Smell and Color of Urine
Sometimes, the things we eat can change the smell of our urine. For example, most people will notice a change in the smell of their urine after eating asparagus. Food can affect the color of our urine, too. Eat enough red beets and you will find out all about it. Some smells, however, do indicate that something may be off. For example:
- Ammonia-like odor can signal dehydration
- Fruity-smelling urine can be a sign of type 2 diabetes.
- Foul-smelling urine can indicate bacteria and infection
The color can also tell you about your health, such as:
- Clear urine is a sign of good hydration, but could also signal over hydration
- Pale yellow urine is an indicator of good hydration and is what you should strive for
- Dark yellow urine is a sign to drink more fluids, though first thing in the morning urine may be darker because it has been more concentrated while you were sleeping
- Amber-colored urine can indicate dehydration
- Orange urine can be caused by various foods or medications or be a sign of potential liver problems
- Pink or red urine can be caused by foods or medications, or it can also be a sign of blood in the urine
- Blue or green urine can be caused by medications or food dyes, but it can be a sign of bacteria or the rare condition known as blue diaper syndrome
- Dark-brown urine can be a sign of liver or kidney problems
- White urine can occur when your body contains excess calcium or phosphate, or it may indicate a urinary tract infection
Understanding Cloudy Urine
Cloudy urine can mean a number of things. This can be infections like vaginitus, UTIs and STIs. It could also signal dehydration, kidney stones, prostate issues, or uncontrolled diabetes. If you have cloudy urine, speak to your healthcare provider.
Exploring Hematuria (Blood in Urine)
I’ll be frank here: Blood in the urine is not a good thing. It generally means that there is some kind of underlying condition, and that condition can be a dangerous one. It could mean bladder or kidney stones, a UTI, or an enlarged prostate. It could also mean kidney damage or disease, as well as kidney or bladder cancer. Blood in the urine should be examined by a doctor as soon as possible after seeing it.
Decoding Painful/Burning Urination
Burning or pain while urinating is often the first sign of a UTI. It can, however, mean other things. These include vulvar or urethra inflammation, STIs such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, or even prostate disease and prostate cancer. Be sure to not wait to see if burning while peeing will go away on its own before going to see a doctor. The longer you wait, the worse it will be.
Significance of Protein in Urine (Proteinuria)
Protein in the urine can mean a number of things. High amounts of urinary protein can signal kidney problems and kidney disease. It is in these instances when you might notice an ammonia-like smell. If you have hypertension and diabetes, you are more susceptible to kidney problems, so your doctor will likely monitor your urinary protein levels regularly. Proteinuria can also be a sign of preeclampsia in pregnant women, so doctors will monitor this in this population, as well.
Understanding Ketones in Urine
Ketones are produced when the body starts to burn fat for fuel instead of sugar. Ketones in urine are usually a sign of poorly managed diabetes. This is because there is an insufficient amount of insulin in the blood to carry sugar to the cells that need it. It can also be a signal of an eating disorder, hyperthyroidism, and other medical conditions. Symptoms that usually accompany ketones in the urine include:
- High blood sugar
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain
- Fruity-smelling breath
- Flushed skin
Symptoms of Frequent Urination
Frequent urination generally involves the urge to urinate more often than considered normal. There are several symptoms that are associated with this. These include:
- discolored urine (urine should be pale yellow in color)
- pain during urination
- abdominal discomfort
- having trouble passing urine
- having strong, sudden urges to pass urine
- leaking urine
These are all symptoms that may indicate that your frequency of urination is abnormal and that there may be something else causing it besides just drinking a lot of water. They don’t all necessarily mean something bad is happening in your body, but regardless it is a good idea to visit your doctor to talk about it. The most important ‘symptom’ to watch out for is if you notice a change in your urination habits. If start noticing that it seems like you are looking for the washroom more frequently, that you can’t make it through the night, your morning commute, or even a movie without needing to go, or if that the urgency of needing to go now and all of the sudden has changed, this could be a signal that something is amiss.
Common Causes of Frequent Urination
As was already touched upon, there are many factors that contribute to your need to urinate. Age, diet, activity levels, stress, the climate you live in – the list is endless. What is considered too-frequent urination for a 30 year old man living in a mountain town in Colorado, for example, will be different that a 60-year-old woman living in, say, New York City. That being said, there are some underlying conditions that could be causing frequent urination to be aware of. These generally have other symptoms, as well, which will help you to more easily identify if your urination patterns are a problem. Again, the most important thing to note is a change in your bathroom habits. If you are noticing that you seem to be needing to pee frequently, something you never noticed before, that is generally the first sign that something may be off.
As said, there are certain conditions that cause you to need to pee more often. These conditions include:
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- diabetes
- prostate problems
- pregnancy
- Kidney infection
- Bladder stones
- Certain cancers – kidney or bladder cancer
- Urethral stricture
- Overactive bladder
- Stroke
There are other medical and health conditions that could also increase your need to pee, however, these tend to be the most common.
Understanding the Role of UTIs, Diabetes, and Prostate Problems, and More
With all the different conditions that can cause frequent urination, it is important to understand better why they cause this problem. This will help you to better understand what is going on in your body, reducing anxiety and allowing you to get the help you need, faster.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
UTIs are a common cause of frequent urination, especially in women. They occur when bacteria invade the urethra, leading to inflammation that affects the bladder’s ability to hold urine. Other symptoms include a burning sensation while urinating, fever, lower back pain, blood in urine, or foul-smelling urine. UTIs can impact the urethra, bladder, and kidneys. If you are experiencing lower back pain and fever, it is important to see the doctor as soon as possible. This could be a sign that the infection is going septic, which can be incredibly dangerous and even fatal.
Diabetes
Uncontrolled type 1 or type 2 diabetes can result in frequent urination. Excess sugar in the urine due to diabetes causes increased fluid passage from the kidneys. Signs of uncontrolled diabetes may include excessive thirst, weight loss, fatigue, vision problems, and mood changes. Your pee will also have a much higher glucose concentration, as your body is trying to get rid of excess sugar. It’s crucial to seek medical help promptly to avoid dehydration and serious complications.
Prostate Problems
Enlarged prostate, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a common cause of frequent urination in men over 50. This condition affects bladder contraction and urine flow, leading to symptoms like difficulty urinating, nighttime urination, and a feeling of incomplete urination. It is crucial to get this checked out, as it could also be a sign of something more dangerous, such as prostate cancer.
Pregnancy
Frequent urination during pregnancy is normal, primarily in the later stages when the growing uterus exerts pressure on the bladder. This can result in more frequent trips to the bathroom and occasional urine leakage during activities like coughing or sneezing. There are exercises and things you can do before, during, and after pregnancy to improve your pelvic floor strength. This will help so that bladder incontinence and urination frequency will go back to normal post-pregnancy.
Other Possible Causes of Frequent Urination
As mentioned above, there are other medical conditions that may contribute to frequent urination. These include interstitial cystitis, stroke, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, anxiety, bladder stones, kidney infection, diabetes insipidus, vaginitis, pelvic tumor, and overactive bladder syndrome. These all have their own additional symptoms and problems, so speak with your doctor if you are concerned or if you already know you have one of these and you are finding that it is affecting your urination frequency.
Lifestyle Factors: Consumption of alcohol and caffeine can cause you to need to urinate more often, as they are diuretics. Other lifestyle factors include diet, water consumption, and activity level.
Medications: Certain medications, such as diuretics like furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, and muscle relaxants like diazepam, can also cause frequent urination.
Knowing the potential causes of frequent urination can help individuals identify underlying issues and seek appropriate medical advice for diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnostic Process for Frequent Urination
There are a number of diagnostic tools that your doctor can use to determine why you are needing to urinate so often and what can be done to improve that. The first of these will almost always be a urine test. Urine tests can reveal a number of conditions, such as UTIs, too much glucose in the urine, pregnancy, and more. They may also use methods such as ultrasounds to look at the inside of your bladder and/or the surrounding organs to see if there is anything structural or other that may be contributing to the problem. Nervous system testing, CT scans, and MRIs may also be included in the diagnostic process.
Available Treatment Options
Treatment will naturally vary widely depending on what is causing your frequent urination. If it is a UTI, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. If you are experiencing urination problems post-pregnancy, you may be prescribed special types of physiotherapy. Medications and other interventions may be prescribed for problems such as enlarged prostate, uncontrolled diabetes, stroke, and more. It may also simply be the case that you are drinking too many liquids, specifically diuretic ones, or you have too-high cortisol levels. This can be because of life stress, too frequent and too intense exercise, or a combination. In these instances, more holistic, lifestyle-intervention approaches may be prescribed.
Prevention Tips and Lifestyle Changes
While you may not have control over every condition that can cause frequent urination, there is a certain amount of control you do have. For example, your lifestyle factors are within your control. Eat well, drink water, exercise regularly, don’t over-consume alcohol, caffeine, and other substances. If you are pregnant or looking to become pregnant, speak with your doctor about preventative measures you can take to improve the strength of your pelvic floor muscles. For women, avoiding UTIs involves staying hydrated, going pee after sexual activity, and taking certain vitamins and supplements that may help avoid UTIs in the first place. If UTIs are a frequent problem, consider having your partner also see the doctor, as it could be something on their end causing them rather than your body alone. If you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar under control will do wonders for how often you are visiting the bathroom. If your urine frequency problem boils down to cortisol levels in the body (aka stress), then consider making changes to your lifestyle. Learn meditation and other stress management techniques. Be honest with yourself and determine whether you are exercising too much or, most importantly, if you are not consuming enough calories for the amount of exercise you are doing. This is a common problem amongst many women, leaving their bodies in a constant state of stress.
Be Your Own Advocate
Most importantly, listen to your doctors, dietitians, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals who are trying to help you. If you feel like you are not being taken seriously or not receiving the proper help that you need, go seek out other opinions. Don’t let someone simply tell you that frequent urination is simply a ‘normal’ problem that most women or men in your situation experience, and that you will just have to wear absorptive undergarments and that’s it. This is a problem that usually does have a solution that can improve your status, so find someone willing to dig deep enough to find it.
The Bottom Line
Frequent urination is annoying, can be embarrassing, and can also be signalling something much more sinister is going on in your body. Don’t ignore it as a simple fact of getting older, being a certain biological sex, having given birth, or anything else. You deserve to live a life in which you can make it through your morning commute without the additional stress of wondering if you will make it without leaking or needing to stop to go pee. You deserve to be able to sleep through the night, make it through a whole movie, and be able to do whatever activities you want without leaks or other issues. Spend a week writing your ‘pee journal’ and take that information with you to your healthcare provider. This will help them to figure out what is really behind your urinary incontinence. If they brush you off, push harder or go find someone else. Your health, happiness, and potentially your life may depend on it.