Drinking is healthy and if you drink a lot of water, tea or coffee, you often have to go to the toilet. However, we will tell you when the constant urge to urinate is a cause for concern and what diseases can be behind it.
Of course, if you drink a lot during the day, you often have to go to the toilet. However, if you have to visit the toilet significantly more than ten times a day, an illness could be behind it. The following conditions usually include an increased urge to urinate with frequent urination.
Table of Contents
These 8 diseases can be behind frequent urination
1. Reizblase
The most obvious reason for frequent urination is the so-called irritable bladder. In Germany, around 13 million people suffer from the phenomenon in which one has to urinate more than ten times a day. This can either be due to the urinary bladder itself if it is affected by a bladder stone or bladder tumor . Or the bladder muscle often suddenly contracts in a spasmodic manner, which can be the case as a result of an operation or in the case of incontinence. Your doctor can determine the exact cause by means of ultrasound or cystoscopy.
Tip: Targeted pelvic floor training with strengthening and relaxation exercises can help to get the symptoms under control with both an irritable bladder and bladder weakness. Get help from the literature, for example with Petra Moench’s “Pelvic floor training for women: your pelvic floor guide” for around 12 euros.
2. Bladder infections
Women in particular are more likely to suffer from bladder infections due to the shorter urinary tract . This form of urinary tract infection is noticeable both through the constant urge to urinate and through burning pain when urinating . Using a urine sample, your family doctor can easily diagnose the infection and, in the case of a bacterial infection, quickly remedy the problem with antibiotics. So don’t be afraid to see your trusted doctor to get the inflammation under control at an early stage.
3. Enlarged prostate
In men, on the other hand, the so-called prostatic hyperplasia is responsible for the frequent urge to urinate from around the age of 50 . Although a benign prostate enlargement is not as harmful to health as a malignant tumor, it can narrow the urinary tract and thus make it difficult to urinate. As a result, the affected person can not empty his bladder completely , residual urine remains in the bladder and leads to the urge to urinate again within a short time. The problem can be solved with medication or, if necessary, an operation.
4. Diabetes
Diabetes can also lead to excessive thirst and frequent urination when blood sugar levels are not well controlled or derailed. Likewise, a special form of diabetes – called diabetes insipidus – can prevent the production of certain hormones that control urine output. In extreme cases, this can lead to water excretion of up to 20 liters per day, which is why drug treatment is necessary.
5. Kidney disease
Since the kidneys play the crucial role in regulating our water balance and the production of urine, diseases of the organ often lead to an uncontrollable urge to urinate and frequent urination. For example, kidney stones can cause severe, cramping pain (renal colic) and lead to increased urination and blood in the urine as they travel down the ureter. Inflammation of the kidneys ( nephritis ) or chronic kidney failure can also cause excessive urination.
Tip: People with kidney disease must pay close attention to their diet and, for example, severely limit their protein intake. Luckily, there are cookbooks that are designed to do just that, such as Barbara Börsteken’s “Eat deliciously with kidney disease: over 120 recipes that relieve the kidneys” for around 25 euros.
6. Hyperthyroidism
While an underactive thyroid slows down the metabolism, an overactive thyroid ( hyperthyroidism ) has the opposite effect: the body produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormones, which boost the metabolism and, in addition to unwanted weight loss, sleep disorders and heavy sweating, can also trigger an increased feeling of thirst. This so-called polydipsia leads to those affected drinking a lot and therefore having to urinate excessively often. In order to diagnose or rule out thyroid disease, a blood test is necessary to measure the concentration of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 in the blood.
7. Anterior vaginal wall prolapse
There are two forms of so-called vaginal prolapse: In the case of a posterior vaginal wall prolapse, parts of the intestine (e.g. small intestine or rectum) protrude into the vaginal canal. In the case of an anterior vaginal wall prolapse, on the other hand, the urinary bladder sinks as a result of pelvic floor weakness and bulges into the vaginal canal. The increased pressure leads to an increased feeling of fullness in the vagina and urinary incontinence. The risk of such a herniated vaginal wall is increased as a result of childbirth, weak pelvic floor muscles and obesity.
8. Prostataentzündung
In addition to an enlargement of the prostate, inflammation of the prostate can also lead to an increased urge to urinate. Such bacterial prostatitis can occur both in an acute form, and become chronic. In addition to pain, those affected suffer from the fact that they cannot completely empty their bladder. As a result, they have to urinate again after a short time and often have to go to the toilet at night (nocturia). In addition to pain-relieving drugs, antibiotics are often used to combat the bacterial pathogens.
