Frequent urination is the need to urinate more often than what's normal for you. You may be passing more urine than usual or only small amounts.
Frequent urination may occur both day and night, or it may be noticeable only during the night (nocturia).
Frequent urination can affect your sleep, work and general well-being.
Frequent urination may be caused by diseases affecting the urinary tract at any level. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), the bladder, and the duct through which urine flows from the bladder out of the body (urethra).
Make an appointment with your doctor if you're urinating more frequently than usual and if:
- There's no apparent cause, such as drinking more total fluids, alcohol or caffeine
- The problem disrupts your sleep or everyday activities
- You have other urinary problems or worrisome symptoms
Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you have frequent urination along with any of these signs or symptoms:
- Blood in your urine
- Red or dark brown urine
- Painful urination
- Pain in your side, lower abdomen or groin
- Difficulty urinating or emptying your bladder
- A strong urge to urinate
- Loss of bladder control
Urinary tract disorders may cause the above signs or symptoms, but so can other serious diseases or health conditions. Seek medical help to find out what's causing your frequent urination and how to treat it.
July 16, 2015
- Urinary frequency. Merck Manual Professional Version. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/genitourinary-disorders/symptoms-of-genitourinary-disorders/urinary-frequency. Accessed June 9, 2015.
- Rakel RE, et al., eds. Urinary tract disorders. In: Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Saunders; 2016. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 9, 2015.
- LeBlond RF, et al., eds. The urinary system. In: DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination. 10th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education; 2015. http://www.accessmedicine.com. Accessed June 10, 2015.