I am suffering from Frequent Urination

Compliments of the season. I have been suffering from ‘Urine Frequency’ for many months now. Even when I am done with urination, I still have the urge and sometimes I experience drops of urine. Kindy share simple information about this problem and remedy. Kelechi X. Thanks, Kelechi, for your question and wishing you speedy recovery. […]

Compliments of the season. I have been suffering from ‘Urine Frequency’ for many months now. Even when I am done with urination, I still have the urge and sometimes I experience drops of urine. Kindy share simple information about this problem and remedy.

Kelechi X.

Thanks, Kelechi, for your question and wishing you speedy recovery. Frequency urination has so many dimensions. I will attempt to provide some useful information. Frequent urination means having an urge to pass urine more often than usual and can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Many people live with frequent urination, known medically as frequency.

Frequency is not the same as urinary incontinence, where there is leakage of urine. Sometimes, frequent urination can indicate a more serious condition.

• Most people urinate 6 or 7 times in 24 hours. Urinating more often than this may be referred to as frequency, but everyone is different.
• It is normally only a problem if it affects a person’s quality of life.
• Urination is the way the body gets rid of waste fluids. Urine contains water, uric acid, urea, and toxins and waste filtered from within the body. The kidneys play a key role in this process.
• Urine stays in the urinary bladder until it reaches a point of fullness and an urge to urinate. At this point, the urine is expelled from the body.

What are the likely causes?

1. 1. Lifestyle-based causes include drinking a lot of fluids, especially if they contain caffeine or alcohol. At night, this can interrupt the sleep cycle with urges to urinate. Frequent urination can also develop as a habit.
2. 2. It can be a sign of kidney or ureter problems, urinary bladder problems, or another medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, pregnancy, or prostate gland problems.

Other related factors include:

• Anxiety and taking drugs such as diuretics, that make you urinate fluid from your body
• Stroke and other brain or nervous system conditions
• Urinary Tract Infection or Tumor or mass in the pelvic area
• Inflammation of the bladder wall and Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, which causes involuntary bladder contractions that lead one to feel a sudden urge to have to urinate
• Bladder cancer and bladder or kidney stones or urinary incontinence
• Urethral stricture or radiation of the pelvis, such as during cancer treatment
• A sexually transmitted infections (STI),

What are the Symptoms?

• The need to urinate at night, during the sleep cycle. This can be a symptom of diabetes insipidus or diabetes mellitus.
• Pain or discomfort while urinating
• Urine that is bloody, cloudy, or of an unusual color
• Gradual loss of bladder control, or urinary incontinence
• Difficulty urinating despite the urge
• Discharge from the vagina or penis
• Frequent urination can indicate a kidney infection, for example. Untreated, this can permanently damage the kidneys. In addition, the bacteria that cause the infection can potentially enter the bloodstream, infecting other areas of the body.

How to diagnose?

A doctor will carry out a thorough history and physical examination and conduct tests which may include the following;

• Urine analysis to identify any abnormality in the urine
• Ultrasound for a visual image of the kidneys
• X-ray or CT Scan of the abdomen and pelvis
• Neurological tests to detect any nerve disorder and Testing for STIs

Potential Treatment options?

• If diabetes mellitus, treatment will aim to keep high blood sugar levels under control.
• For a bacterial kidney infection, the typical course of treatment is antibiotic and painkiller therapy.
• If the cause is an overactive bladder, a medication known as an anticholinergic may be used.
• Bladder training and exercises. These include such as Kegel exercises which is a regular daily exercise, often done around pregnancy, can strengthen the muscles of the pelvis and urethra and support the bladder.

How to prevent?

• Eating a balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle can help moderate the output of urine.
• Limiting alcohol and caffeine intake and cutting out foods that can irritate the bladder or act as a diuretic, such as chocolate, spicy foods, and artificial sweeteners.