Here’s what you need to know about the causes of frequent urination in women.
What is considered frequent urination?
Although a natural part of our bodily functions, urination can easily become irritating and stressful when it gets out of control. It’s even worse for those who have to pee a lot in the night because it messes up their sleep.
SEE ALSO: Why you have swollen vag lips with no discharge.
Generally, going to pee more than 8 times a day is considered frequent urination.
Without further ado, let’s have a look at the 7 most common causes of frequent urination in women.
8 Common Frequent Urination Causes
1. Overhydration
Overhydration is when you have an excess amount of water in your body and is probably the number 1 most common cause of frequent urination in women and men. If you’re urinating a lot lately, chances are you might be drinking a lot of fluids like water, juice, or tea.
Perhaps you’ve started drinking a lot of water and diet drinks lately to lose weight?
Or maybe you’re an athlete or someone who works out on a regular basis?
Or you could be someone living in a hot country and constantly feel the need to avoid dehydration.
Whatever the reason may be, your body gets rid of excess water in your body via urine so if that’s the reason then you don’t have anything to worry about other than the obvious need to urinate more often than you normally would.
That being said, you need to make sure that you’re not drinking way too much water to the point of developing Hyponatremia.
This is the excess water in your body causes the sodium level in your blood to drop too low. Hyponatremia is dangerous and can cause life-threatening consequences [1].
This rarely happens but it can happen if you happen to overdose on water.
What should you do if you think your frequent urination is caused by overhydration?
Drink when you’re thirsty and avoid drinking too much water too fast without any intervals.
2.Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
UTI is a popular cause of frequent urination in women and it’s considered one of the most common bacterial infections.
So what happens if you have a UTI?
Bacteria from the stomach often lies in the anal skin area and has close access to a woman’s urethra which is located near the anus. When given the chance to move closer to your vagina, the bacteria can travel through it and move up to the urethra.
When in the Urethra, the bacteria can then travel up to your bladder and cause infections. If left untreated, UTIs can also invade into the kidneys.
Women have more chances of getting UTIs than men because their urethra, the tube that transports urine, is shorter than men’s’ [2,3].
The most common symptoms of UTI include frequent urination even if you only have a few drops coming out every time, a burning sensation when you pee, lower abdomen pain, and cloudy or weird smelling urine.
Think you have it?
If you have any of these symptoms along with the frequent urination then it’s best to visit your doctor and take treatment for it. You’ll normally be given antibiotics to kill the bacteria and other meds to soothe any pain. Cranberry juice is a research-backed natural remedy for Urinary tract infections [4].
3.Early Pregnancy
Have you been sexually active without any contraceptives or are you trying to get pregnant?
If yes, one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy includes frequent urination.
The hCG hormone in your body increases when you’re pregnant and one of the side effects is feeling the need to pee a lot. This is also why pregnancy tests look for hCG to confirm pregnancies.
If you think the reason why you’re peeing a lot might be because you’re pregnant, take the home pregnancy test after you miss your period and then visit your doctor to confirm.
It’s also important to remember that home pregnancy tests are not always accurate in detecting pregnancy because of the level of hCG present in urine can vary in each woman.
4.Polyuria (Diabetes)
Polyuria is a condition that causes one to pass an abnormal amount of more than 3 liters of urine per day. The normal amount of urine per day for adults is anywhere between 1-2 liters.
The abnormally high amount of urine lost per day also causes constant thirstiness and these two combined are one of the major signs of Diabetes 1 and 2 [5].
In those with diabetes, the excess amount of sugar that cannot be reabsorbed by the blood ends up in the urine and this causes the large volume of urine in those who have diabetes.
Visit your doctor if you have Polyuria along with other symptoms such as being thirsty all the time, deep fast breaths, and/or if you have a sweet smelling breath for no reason.
5.Incomplete Urinary Emptying
This is often the early sign of Urinary incontinence and often goes undiagnosed until it gets worse.
So what is it?
Incomplete Urinary Emptying (IUE) is when your bladder fails to release all of the stored urine when you pee.
The 2 main causes of IUE are a blockage in the pathway of the urine and the bladder not being able to contract efficiently [6].
Signs and symptoms of IUE:
- Full bladder
- Difficult to start and/or to hold a steady flow.
- Feeling like you haven’t emptied everything after you finish urinating.
- Lower abdomen discomfort
- Recurring UTIs
- Feeling the need to go pee all the time only to see a few drops or nothing come out.
6.Stress and Anxiety
These 2 can have an impact on every aspect of health including the number of times you pee in a day.
Research shows that those who suffer from anxiety and stress are more likely to have frequent urination problem than those who don’t [7].
If you’ve been under a lot of stress or anxiety lately, this could also be why you’re feeling the need to pee a lot then you normally would.
7.Alcohol
Polyuria, the condition of urinating an abnormally large amount of urine per day that we discussed earlier can also be caused by the consumption of alcohol. On top of that, Alcohol is a diuretic which means it will make you pee more.
If you’re drinking alcohol on a regular basis and/or happen to experience frequent urination only after drinking alcohol then this could be the reason.
8.Overactive Bladder
This is the condition that can cause you to feel the sudden urge to urinate the second you feel it and it also makes you feel like you’re going to leak any second if you don’t make it to the washroom.
It can sometimes cause you to leak urine if you’re unable to get to the toilet as fast as you feel the need to. Millions suffer from overactive bladder and many don’t seek treatment until symptoms get worse [8]. And it is indeed one of the main causes of frequent urination in women.
This is the main symptom of an overactive bladder and other symptoms include feeling the need to urinate more 8 or more times per day and waking up 2 or more times in the night to pee.
Overactive bladder is a common problem in adults but it’s best to see your doctor about it if and when it really gets in the way of your everyday life.
Can you relate to any of these causes of frequent urination?
Share your experience with us in the comments below.