Frequent Urination

What is frequent urination?

Frequent urination is when you need to pee too many times throughout the day or night. It’s inconvenient and disruptive to your daily life. It’s a common complaint among all people, regardless of sex or gender.

Frequent urination is a symptom of many different conditions and can have a wide variety of treatments. It can be a symptom of pregnancy or a urinary tract infection, or more serious or long-lasting conditions like diabetes, overactive bladder or prostate issues.

In many cases, your healthcare provider can help relieve frequent peeing by treating the underlying condition.

Frequent urination at night

It’s common to occasionally wake up at night to pee. In fact, it’s normal to get up to urinate. In general, you can expect to pee once a night in your 40s and 50s, twice a night in your 60s and 70s and even two to three times a night in your 80s and beyond. But waking up too often in the night can keep you from getting enough sleep and is sometimes a sign of a health condition. This type of frequent urination is called nocturia. Some serious conditions — like heart failure, edema (swelling) in your legs and sleep disorders — are more likely to cause frequent urination at night.

What’s normal and how many times is too frequent to urinate?

Most people pee about seven to eight times per day, on average. If you feel the need to pee much more than that, or if you’re getting up every hour or 30 minutes to go, you might be frequently urinating. This can still be considered “normal,” though, especially if you’re drinking lots of fluids or taking certain medications. What matters most is what’s typical for you.

You’re more likely to frequently urinate if you:

• Are pregnant.
• Are over 70 years old.
• Have an enlarged prostate.

What causes frequent urination?

Many conditions can cause frequent urination, including:

• Urinary tract, bladder and pelvic conditions.
• Pregnancy.
• Diabetes.
• Enlarged prostate.
• Conditions that affect your brain and nervous system.
• Medications.

Urinary tract, bladder and pelvic conditions.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common cause of frequent urination. These are bacterial infections in your bladder, urethra or other parts of your urinary tract. They include cystitis (bladder infection), urethritis (infection of the urethra) and pyelonephritis (kidney infection). Different types of vaginitis may also cause frequent urination, including yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV) or trichomonas.

Other conditions in your urinary tract and pelvic area that can cause frequent urination include:

• Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.
• Overactive bladder syndrome.
• Urethral, bladder or uterine prolapse into your vagina.
• Radiation therapy to your pelvic area.
• Rarely, bladder cancer or pelvic tumor.
• Narrowing of your urethra (urethral stricture).

Pregnancy

Frequent urination is very common during pregnancy. The fetus can press on your bladder, making it hold less and causing you to pee more.

When does frequent urination start in pregnancy?

You might have to pee more frequently in your first and third trimesters. It’s less common in the second trimester.

Diabetes

Frequent urination is a common symptom of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. When your body can’t use insulin to break down glucose, it makes more pee to get rid of it. Diabetes is more likely to cause higher volumes of urine when you go (polyuria) than other causes of frequent urination.

Enlarged prostate

In men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB), the prostate is a golf-ball-sized gland that makes some of the liquid that comes out during ejaculation. An enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) — or, more rarely, prostate tumors — can place pressure on your urinary system and cause frequent urination.

Other causes

Other causes of frequent urination include:

• Stroke.
• Spinal cord injuries.
• Fibromyalgia.
• Diuretics (medications that help remove extra salt and water from your body).
• Alcohol or caffeine.

How do I know if it’s frequent urination?

If you’re peeing more than eight times a day or more than twice at night, or the number of times you pee per day bothers you, you might have frequent urination. A healthcare provider can help you understand your symptoms and find the cause. To do this, they might ask you questions like:

• What medicines are you taking?
• How much fluid do you usually drink and what kinds?
• Are you drinking more than usual?
• Do you drink alcohol or caffeine?
• Are there certain times of day or night you find yourself going more?
• Do you have swelling in your legs?
• Do you snore?

The provider may also take a urine sample to test for UTIs. If they don’t find other causes, they may use ultrasound or CT scan to look for tumors or other structural issues that might be causing frequent urination. In some cases, they might use a cystoscope (a small camera) to look inside your bladder.

How can I stop frequent urination?

You can manage or stop frequent urination with treatment. Your healthcare provider will usually start by determining the cause of your symptoms.

Treatment depends on the underlying condition and could include:

• Fluid modifications, including the type and amount of fluids you drink on a daily basis.
• Antibiotics to treat infections like a UTI.
• Management of diabetes, prostate issues or other ongoing conditions.
• Pelvic floor physical therapy for overactive bladder.
• Kegel exercises if you have urine leakage along with a frequent need to go.

What can I do at home manage frequent urination naturally?

There are several lifestyle changes to manage frequent urination that’s not caused by an infection or other underlying condition. These include:

• Avoid drinking fluids two hours before going to bed.
• Limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink, including sodas, teas and other non-coffee drinks with caffeine.
• Wear a protective pad or underwear to avoid leaks. This is a short-term solution that can help you keep living your life while your condition is treated.

What are the possible complications or risks of not treating frequent urination?

While many causes of frequent urination aren’t serious, some can cause life-threatening complications if left untreated. Serious complications include dangerously high blood glucose in untreated diabetes, dehydration and infections that spread to other parts of your body.

When should I worry about frequent urination?

Many causes of frequent urination aren’t cause for concern. If you find yourself going to the bathroom more than eight times a day, or if you feel like you’re peeing more than what’s normal for your body, talk to a healthcare provider. They can help you find and treat the cause.

When should I see a healthcare provider about frequent urination?

Because the conditions that cause frequent urination range from minor to serious, you should speak to a provider about anything outside of your typical urination patterns. The cause is often a temporary symptom that can be treated.

See a provider immediately if you have these signs with frequent urination:

• Fever.
• Vomiting.
• Lower back or side pain.
• Blood in your urine (hematuria).
• Penile or vaginal discharge.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Everyone feels the need to pee. But if you find yourself making trips to the bathroom to relieve your bladder throughout the day — or night — you might be experiencing frequent urination. While the causes often aren’t serious, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider to rule out underlying illnesses. Even though it’s disruptive and can be stressful, it’s often treatable with the help of a provider.