Nocturia – frequent urination at night – causes and treatments
Nocturia - frequent urination at night - causes and treatmentsNocturia – frequent urination at night – causes and treatments

This mysterious-sounding name refers to a very prosaic thread – namely, the problem of excessively frequent urination. In itself, it does not define any disease, but most often it indicates a symptom of some ailment. The question arises about what are the norms for the frequency of urination. Well, it is generally accepted that one-time urination during a night’s rest is normal. However, if we note more such needs – then most likely we are dealing with nocturia – a symptom that forces us to urinate frequently. What could be the reasons for this condition? Can they be treated effectively?

Frequent urination at night – what to look for?

Nycturia it does not name any disease, but it can be a key symptom of some ailment. The easiest way to say it is when we notice it at home frequent urination at night. How do we know if we are affected by this issue? Well, in a properly functioning bladder, the amount of urine produced at night is three times less than during the day, thanks to which we should not feel the pressure on the bladder, the need to pee at night, or observe nocturnal nocturia in adults. If not, it’s worth looking into this topic. And so – nocturia indicates either a significantly exceeding the volume of urine produced, or disturbances in the functioning of the bladder. This in turn should lead to more advanced diagnostics. Finally, it is said that nocturia may have its causes in systemic diseases, including: diabetes, kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes insipidus, exceeded blood calcium levels, and sleep apnea. Other causes indicate various disorders in emptying the bladder, which include prostate diseases (frequent urination at night in men), urinary incontinence, cystitis, neurological diseases. Sometimes we ourselves directly contribute to the increased production of urine, which results in the need to get up several times at night to pee. It will not be surprising to find that these behaviors include the consumption of large amounts of alcohol before bedtime, diuretics and caffeine-containing beverages, and sometimes even just drinking anything before bedtime. If we exclude the causes that indicate only the result of our actions, all we have to do is go to the doctor for a detailed diagnosis. It is not worth delaying this topic, because the observed nocturnal pollakiuria may be a symptom of a serious disease.

What to do with the problem of frequent urination?

I don’t think you need to convince anyone of that frequent urination at night can significantly impair your quality of life. First of all, it affects the quality of sleep, shortening it, and ultimately causing sleeplessness. Lack of sleep, in turn, is the shortest way to feeling bad the next day, loss of energy and vitality, and a decrease in efficiency in everyday functioning. If we observe a problem with frequent urination at night, we should first of all focus on recognizing the right causes of this condition. If we know that we ourselves can be the direct culprits of this problem, it is worth changing our habits and giving up all kinds of drinks before bedtime. However, if the causes lie elsewhere, it is worth seeking medical advice and deciding to take medications that will block the receptors in the prostate and bladder, and thus alleviate the symptoms of nocturia. A urologist will certainly be competent and helpful in diagnosing problems within this scope.

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