Frequent or Urgent UrinationSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Frequent or Urgent Urination
Frequent urination means needing to urinate more often than usual. Urgent urination is a sudden, strong need to urinate. This causes a discomfort in your bladder. Urgent urination makes it difficult to delay using the toilet.
A frequent need to urinate at night is called nocturia. Most people can sleep for 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate.
Urgent urination; Urinary frequency or urgency; Urgency-frequency syndrome; Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome; Urge syndrome
Common causes of these symptoms are:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Enlarged prostate in middle-aged and older men
- Swelling and infection of the urethra
- Vaginitis (swelling of or discharge from the vulva and vagina)
- Nerve related problems
- Caffeine intake
Less common causes include:
- Alcohol use
- Anxiety
- Bladder cancer (not common)
- Spine problems
- Diabetes that is not well controlled
- Pregnancy
- Interstitial cystitis
- Medicines such as water pills (diuretics)
- Overactive bladder syndrome
- Radiation therapy to the pelvis, which is used to treat certain cancers
- Stroke and other brain or nervous system diseases
- Tumor or growth in the pelvis
Follow the advice of your health care provider to diagnose and treat the cause of the problem.
It may help to write down the times when you urinate and the amount of urine you produce. Bring this record to your visit with the provider. This is called a voiding diary.
In some cases, you may have problems controlling urine (incontinence) for a period of time. You may need to take steps to protect your clothing and bedding.
For nighttime urination, avoid drinking too much fluid before going to bed. Cut down on the amount of liquids you drink that contain alcohol or caffeine.
Contact your provider right away if:
- You have fever, back or side pain, vomiting, or shaking chills
- You have increased thirst or appetite, fatigue, or sudden weight loss
Also contact your provider if:
- You have urinary frequency or urgency, but you are not pregnant and you are not drinking large amounts of fluid.
- You have incontinence or you have changed your lifestyle because of your symptoms.
- You have bloody or cloudy urine.
- There is a discharge from the penis or vagina.
Your provider will take a medical history and do a physical exam.
Tests that may be done include:
- Urinalysis
- Urine culture
- Cystometry or urodynamic testing (a measurement of the pressure within the bladder and the flow of urine)
- Cystoscopy
- Nervous system tests (for some urgency problems)
- Ultrasound (such as an abdominal ultrasound or a pelvic ultrasound)
Treatment depends on the cause of the urgency and frequency. You may need to take antibiotics and medicine to ease your discomfort.
Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Urology Clinic
Kenneth Peters is a Urologist practicing medicine in Royal Oak, Michigan. He has been practicing medicine for over 35 years. Dr. Peters is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Frequent or Urgent Urination. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Interstitial Cystitis, Frequent or Urgent Urination, Pudendal Neuralgia, Sacral Nerve Stimulation, and Aquablation. Dr. Peters is board certified in American Board Of Urology. Dr. Peters is currently accepting new patients.
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Howard Goldman is a Urologist practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been practicing medicine for over 39 years. Dr. Goldman is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Frequent or Urgent Urination. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Urinary Incontinence, Stress Urinary Incontinence, Frequent or Urgent Urination, Sacral Nerve Stimulation, and Endoscopy. Dr. Goldman is board certified in American Board Of Urology, 2013.
Urology Clinic
J. Quentin Clemens, MD, has published over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. His research focuses on epidemiology and health services research related to benign urologic diseases, health policy, and quality of care assessment in urology. He has had continuous funding from the NIH since 2001. Dr. Clemens is currently the Principal Investigator for two NIH-funded research networks – the University of Michigan LURN Research Site and the University of Michigan MAPP Research Network. He has served as the Chair of the MAPP Network since 2013. His clinical interests include female urinary incontinence, complex fistulas and erosions, lower urinary tract reconstruction using bowel segments, bladder dysfunction due to neurologic disease, video urodynamic evaluation of complex lower urinary tract dysfunction, and interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. Dr. Clemens is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Frequent or Urgent Urination. He is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Interstitial Cystitis, Frequent or Urgent Urination, Neurogenic Bladder, Sacral Nerve Stimulation, and Endoscopy. Dr. Clemens is board certified in Urology and Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surg.
Summary: Single-arm study conducted in participants for the treatment of urinary urge incontinence in patients who have failed, could not tolerate, or were not a candidate for more conservative treatments. The objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of 30-minutes daily therapeutic stimulation with the Neuspera System.
Summary: Prospective, multi-center, single-arm, post-approval study is designed to assess the long-term safety and efficacy data of the Neuspera Sacral Neuromodulation (SNM) System following commercial approval of the Neuspera SNM System. Participants in this study received intervention/implanted in Phase I or Phase II of the Neuspera SANS\_UUI (NSM-004) Study.
Published Date: May 17, 2024
Published By: Sovrin M. Shah, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Conway B, Phelan PJ, Stewart GD. Nephrology and urology. In: Penman ID, Ralston SH, Strachan MWJ, Hobson RP, eds. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 18.
Rane A, Kulkarni M, Iyer J. Prolapse and disorders of the urinary tract. In: Symonds I, Arulkumaran S, eds. Essential Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 21.
Reynolds WS, Cohn JA. Overactive bladder. In: Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 117.