Urine says a lot about our health. In fact, the number of times you are going to pee is a good indicator of health. Not urinating enough or visiting the toilet too many times can indicate that something is wrong with your pipes.
Although there is no precise number of times you should urinate in a 24-hour period, your frequency can vary from day to day. Typically, the average adult urinates around seven times a day. But, as we said before, this depends on how much you drink and your level of physical activity.
Factors that influence your urge to urinate
The amount of liquid you drink
For one thing, the amount of liquid you drink will determine how much liquid comes out. If someone drinks three liters of water a day, for example, they will probably spend more time urinating than someone who drinks much less. In this case, you should not worry about any underlying condition, such as a hiperactiv bladder.
Likewise, if you don't urinate very often, this may be a sign that you need to hydrate more. The body is quite intelligent on its own. It has its own sensors and receptors that stimulate thirst in the body if you don't get enough fluid to maintain a normal state.
Beyond thirst , another sign that you are not hydrating enough is dark yellow urine. Light yellow urine is a good sign that you are hydrating properly.
Although drinking more fluids is normally recommended for good hydration, you should be careful with some medical conditions, such as heart failure or poor kidney function, which may require people to limit their fluid intake.
Take certain foods and drinks
Your diet can also affect how often you go to the toilet. Coffee , tea , alcohol, and soda can increase urine production. Spicy foods , sour fruits, and chocolate can also cause you to pee more.
If you find that your urination frequency is becoming disturbing or you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, you may want to cut down on these foods and drinks, especially later in the day.
Your exercise habits
Physical activity can affect how often you need to urinate, but the science on this is pretty scant. Some women who exercise see an increase in rates of stress incontinence, according to a September 2019 review published in Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports. Physical activity appears to play a role in the development of stress urinary incontinence in active women of all ages.
Stress incontinence, which sometimes leads to "leakage," occurs when a physical movement, such as laughing, coughing, sneezing, or exercising, puts pressure on the bladder. Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles and tissues that support the pelvic floor muscles and the urinary sphincter weaken. These muscles can weaken over time with age, but they can also lose strength due to childbirth or prostate surgery.
Medical conditions and other diseases
- There are some medical conditions associated with an overactive bladder (frequent urination):
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
People who have delivered may urinate more often, and in part this is because the bladder muscles are weakened. During pregnancy, the bladder can be temporarily crushed by the growing baby. Certain hormones of pregnancy can also cause urination and after pregnancy, problems with bladder control are quite common.
Smokers are also prone to urinating more frequently: Smoking irritates the bladder, according to the American Urological Association, and carcinogens are expelled through the urinary tract.
Stress and anxiety can also contribute to temporary or longer-lasting bladder symptoms. This is not necessarily a bladder problem, but a consequence of stress. Psychological treatment can help relieve problems related to urine.
Certain medications can also affect how often you urinate. Any type of diuretic, a drug that is sometimes prescribed to people who manage heart problems, high blood pressure, or kidney function, can lead to frequent urination.
How much is too often?
Many factors can cause you to urinate more or less frequently, and there is a fairly wide range when it comes to a normal amount of urination each day. But if your daily life is interrupted by bathroom visits and you've ruled out the above causes, it's a good idea to ask your doctor. Having a constant urge to urinate can be a symptom of other conditions, such as urinary tract infections, overactive bladder, and diabetes.
