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Normally, the average person urinates no more than six to eight times each day, and does not have to get up at night to use the bathroom. When a person needs urinate more than once every couple of hours during the day, or get up several times during the night, something is probably wrong.
After urine is produced by the kidneys, it flows down the ureters into the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, balloon-like organ, most of its wall being made of muscle. As the bladder fills, the muscle relaxes so that the bladder expands and holds urine. During urination, the bladder muscle contracts to squeeze out the urine. The urethra is the tube through which urine passes from the bladder to the outside. The urethra has a muscle -- the sphincter -- which is completely separate to the bladder muscle. The sphincter normally stays closed and makes a seal to keep urine from leaking. During urination, the sphincter opens and lets urine pass.
The bladder and urethra have a specialized lining called the epithelium. The epithelium forms a barrier between the urine and the bladder muscle. The epithelium also helps to keep bacteria from sticking to the bladder, so it helps to prevent bladder infections.
Causes & Development
Common causes of frequent urination include:Added to these possible causes is the natural process of aging: As we get older, the muscle of the bladder loses elasticity and tone. As a result, the bladder's capacity can be reduced by almost 50%, causing more frequent urination, and may empty less completely. The warning period between the urge and actual urination is also shortened or even lost as one ages. In addition, muscular disability, spinal cord effects on the bladder muscle, tumors, infection, or anatomic damage to the sphincters and/or bladder neck may cause incontinence in advancing age. Other risks for incontinence in old age include chronic disease, cognitive impairment, medications, smoking, pelvic muscle weakness, low fluid intake and environment.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Increased Urinary Frequency:
Risk factors for Increased Urinary Frequency:
Increased Urinary Frequency suggests the following may be present:
Recommendations and treatments for Increased Urinary Frequency:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | Strongly counter-indicative |  | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Abdomen (Abdominal)
That part of the body between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, intestines, liver, bladder, pancreas and other organs.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Constipation (Constipated)
Difficult, incomplete, or infrequent evacuation of dry, hardened feces from the bowels.
Diabetes Insipidus
Excessive production of urine, usually due to insufficient production of antidiuretic hormone.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Diuretic (Diuretics)
An agent increasing urine flow, causing the kidneys to excrete more than the usual amount of sodium, potassium and water.
Gland (Glands)
The glandular system is one of the most important and complicated systems of the body. Gland tissue can be either an organ or general tissue that secretes chemicals and there are two types of gland: exocrine and endocrine. Those glands which secrete chemicals through tubules or ducts are called exocrine and include sweat, tear and salivary glands. Ductless glands - part of the endocrine system - secrete special chemicals (hormones) directly into the blood.
Incontinence (Incontinent)
The inability to retain urine in the bladder for a reasonable length of time. It is can be caused by urethral irritation, loss of tone to the basement muscle of the bladder (the trigone), scarification or growths on the urethral lining, nerve damage, or emotional stress.
Interstitial Cystitis
A chronic bladder problem involving a bladder wall that is inflamed and irritated. Symptoms include an urgent need to urinate, both daytime and nighttime; pressure, pain and tenderness around the bladder, pelvis and perineum (the area between the anus and vagina or the anus and scrotum) which may increase as the bladder fills and decrease as it empties during urination; a bladder that won't hold as much urine as it did before; pain during sexual intercourse; in men, discomfort or pain in the penis or scrotum. In many women, the symptoms get worse before their menstrual period. Stress may also make the symptoms worse, but it does not cause them.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Leiomyomas (Fibroids, Fibromyoma, Leiomyoma, Myofibroma)
Benign tumors of the involuntary muscle. An encapsulated tumor made up of disorganized and irregular connective tissue. The most common of these is the "fibroid" tumor that develops in many women. It is really a leiomyoma of the uterus.
Liter (Liters, Litre, Litres)
A metric measure of volume equivalent to 1.057 liquid quarts or 0.2642 gallons.
Prostate
The prostate gland in men that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra and produces a secretion that liquefies coagulated semen.
Prostatitis
Inflammation of the prostate. The causes may be varied, ranging from infection to portal congestion to cancer to increased adipose estradiol release in the middle-aged male... to over-use.
Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)
The use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Depending on the stage of the disease, treatment with radiation may be given alone or with chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is local therapy; it affects cancer cells only in the treated area. External radiation does not cause the body to become radioactive. Most often, treatment is given on an outpatient basis in a hospital or clinic.
Urinary Tract (UT)
The kidneys and the lower urinary tract, which includes the ureters, bladder, and urethra.
Uterus (Uterine)
The part of the female reproductive system specialized to allow the implantation, growth and nourishment of a fetus during pregnancy.
Last updated: May 30, 2009
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