Frequent urination with a lot of urine – causes, treatment and prevention

Frequent urination with lots of urine

Frequent urination with a lot of urine can have various causes. These range from harmless to life-threatening diseases. A medical diagnosis is essential, and it is also important to ensure adequate fluid intake.

What is Frequent urination with a lot of urine

Increased urination is a common complaint in general medical practice. This can be accompanied by a small or even reduced amount of urine or a large amount of urine. In the further text, the increased urination with a large amount of urine is discussed. This is usually accompanied by an increased feeling of thirst , since the large amounts of urine and thus the large amount of liquid excreted have to be compensated.

The normal daily amount of urine excreted is one to two liters on average. This amount is sometimes significantly increased with increased urination with a lot of urine. This so-called polyuria can be accompanied by the excretion of up to 3 liters of urine per day. The increased thirst that occurs as a result of polyuria usually leads to increased drinking, which in turn increases urine output. However, if the person affected cannot compensate for the increased excretion of liquid by drinking more, the body will slowly dry out – the body of the person affected becomes dehydrated .

For this reason, it is of fundamental importance to drink enough to compensate for the increased excretion of urine, i.e. the increased loss of liquid. Usually, the urge to urinate occurs throughout the day and not just at a certain time of the day or night. In addition to the symptoms of polyuria, various accompanying symptoms can occur. These range from blood in the urine to dehydration of the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat to urinary incontinence , the uncontrolled and unwanted excretion of urine.

These accompanying symptoms each indicate other causes of the symptoms. In principle, a wide variety of clinical pictures can be considered as the cause of the present symptoms. A differentiation can take place via the anamnesis and the physical examination of the person concerned, as well as via the examination of the urine. It should also be pointed out that the sometimes significantly increased urge to urinate can be perceived as unpleasant by the patient and can therefore also be a psychological burden and cause stress .

In addition to various pathophysiological processes, the increased elimination can also simply be attributed to excessive liquid intake and/or to the increased intake of diuretic drinks or substances. The symptoms mentioned do not always have to be due to an illness, but since this is quite possible, a medical clarification is useful and necessary.

causes

The possible causes are manifold. In addition to the already mentioned increased fluid intake or the increased intake of diuretic drinks or substances, a whole range of different diseases can trigger the symptoms of polyuria, an increased urine excretion. These diseases naturally include various diseases of the kidneys , whose task is to filter the so-called primary urine and ultimately only excrete the urine. Heart failure, diabetes mellitus, hormonal diseases and inflammation of the urinary tract can also cause the symptoms mentioned.

An indication of the presence of a disease is an increased feeling of thirst that occurs in addition to the increased excretion of urine. This can indicate the presence of diabetes (diabetes mellitus). The body tries to prevent dehydration through a sometimes significantly increased fluid intake. The feeling of thirst serves as a “means to an end” because it encourages drinking, i.e. the intake or supply of liquid.

Various heart and kidney diseases also often lead to increased excretion of urine or an increased urge to urinate in general. If the urge to urinate occurs mainly at night, this can indicate a urinary tract infection or heart failure. Heart failure, i.e. a functional weakness of the heart, leads to water retention ( oedema ) in the body. The body can eliminate or break down these better at night than during the day. In men, diseases or enlargements of the prostate are also causes of polyuria.

In addition to the diseases already mentioned, other causes can also cause the symptoms. In addition to the harmless but very stressful irritable bladder, these also include a narrowing of the urethra. Diabetes insipidus can also lead to the symptoms. Diabetes insipidus, also known as water urinary dysentery, describes the reduced ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine. This leads to increased water loss through the urine. Also many diseases of the thyroid glandcan lead to increased urination. This is due to the hormones produced in the thyroid gland. Cancer of the bladder, a foreign object in the urinary tract, prolapsed bladder, prolapsed uterus, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Conn’s syndrome can also cause symptoms. Psychological triggers are also possible.

Diseases

diagnosis and course

A detailed anamnesis is particularly important for diagnosis. The doctor mainly asks questions about the occurrence of the symptoms, pain and other side effects. In all likelihood, there will then be a physical examination with palpation of the bladder and kidneys. Painfulness of these touches will probably also be tested. Furthermore, the examination of the urine in the laboratory is important. This allows both urinary tract infections and diabetes mellitus to be diagnosed with certainty.

Further options for recurrent and chronic complaints, as well as for complaints of unknown cause, are sonography of the bladder and kidneys and a cystoscopy. In this case the diagnosis is very reliable. The possible diagnoses are: acute infection of the urinary tract, benign enlargement of the prostate, inflammation of the prostate, diabetes mellitus, malignant neoplasm of the urinary bladder, foreign bodies in the urinary bladder, irritable bladder, injury to the urethra, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and urinary tract. Other diagnoses are possible, but unlikely.

treatment and therapy

The treatment depends on the diagnosis and thus on the underlying cause. In general, however, it is very important to drink a lot to compensate for the loss of fluid. For example, an acute urinary tract infection, which is usually caused by bacteria, is treated with antibiotics. In the case of an acute uncomplicated cystis (bladder infection) in women, a single administration of an antibiotic may be sufficient as therapy.

In the case of complicated courses, other acute infections of the urinary tract and cystis in men, longer antibiotic therapy is required. The antibiotic cotrimoxazole is an example of a frequently prescribed antibiotic for urinary tract infections. Antibiosis can of course also be carried out with other active ingredients. If an underlying disease, such as a malfunction of the thyroid gland, is in the foreground and causes the symptoms of increased urination with a lot of urine, this underlying disease must be corrected. If this is successful, the increased urination also disappears. This also applies to all other underlying diseases that do not directly affect the urinary tract.

If the symptoms are caused by a foreign body, it must be removed. A psychologically caused irritable bladder is a special case. This psychosomatic illness can be remedied or alleviated with psychotherapeutic methods or psychosomatic intervention. It should be noted that an irritable bladder is not always due to a psychological cause. A lack of estrogen in women can also trigger this disease – then it is important to remedy the lack of estrogen.

prevention

A general prevention of increased urination is not possible. Prevention of urinary tract infections is important, for example, by drinking enough water, wearing warm and dry clothing and immediately and completely emptying the bladder when you have an urge to urinate. In addition, a generally healthy lifestyle and diet is preventive. In this context, however, this cannot completely prevent the development of a urinary tract infection.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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