What Is Frequent Urination? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Health ConditionsUrological Health

What Is Frequent Urination? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What Is Frequent Urination? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
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Updated on January 29, 2026
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Frequent urination is defined as urinating more often than what you consider normal. It can be a simple annoyance or a sign of a serious medical issue.

Most people can sleep through the night without having to urinate or only need to get up once to use the bathroom. People who have to get up multiple times at night may have a condition called nocturia.

 Adults who pass more than 3 cups to 3 quarts (700 milliliters to 3 liters) of urine in a day may have a condition known as polyuria.

If you have concerns about how often and how much you urinate, talk to your doctor.

Signs and Symptoms of Frequent Urination

For most healthy people, urinating more than seven or eight times a day may be considered frequent. You may urinate more if you are:

  • Age 70 or older, as your bladder may be losing capacity
  • Pregnant, as an enlarging uterus can push on the bladder
  • Increasing intake of fluids, especially caffeine and alcohol
If you are urinating more than normal without explanation, you may want to call the doctor, especially if your symptoms include:

Causes and Risk Factors of Frequent Urination

Frequent urination could be the result of issues in your urinary tract and other conditions, including:

medical illustration titled Causes of Frequent Urination, man centered surrounded by symptoms including anxiety, pregnancy, uti, enlarged prostate, interstitial cystitis, bladder or prostate cancer, diabetes, drinking caffeine or alcohol, stroke
Any of these conditions can cause you to urinate more often than normal.Everyday Health
  • Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) UTIs are a common cause of frequent urination. They occur when bacteria invade the urethra, which connects the penis or vagina to the bladder. This causes inflammation, which can decrease your bladder’s ability to hold urine.

     Additional symptoms typically include a burning sensation while urinating, lower back pain, blood in urine, and foul-smelling urine.

  • Diabetes Frequent urination can be a sign of uncontrolled type 1 or type 2 diabetes. When diabetes is not controlled, excess sugar causes more fluid to pass from the kidneys into your urine. Uncontrolled diabetes is the most frequent cause of polyuria, or urinating more than normal.

     If you think you may have diabetes, it’s important to speak with your doctor as soon as possible.
  • Prostate Problems An enlarged prostate can obstruct urine flow. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, a noncancerous enlarged prostate is the most common cause of frequent urination in men ages 50 and older.

  • Pregnancy Frequent urination is most common in the first trimester of pregnancy because of increased hormone levels and blood flow to the kidneys as well as in the third trimester, when the uterus and fetus may press on your bladder.

Drinking alcohol and caffeine can also cause more frequent urination.

Additional, less common medical causes of frequent urination include:

Certain medications can also cause frequent urination. For example, diuretics, or “water pills,” increase your kidneys’ urine production. These medications include:

  • furosemide (Furoscix, Lasix)
  • torsemide (Soaanz)
  • bumetanide (Bumex)
  • hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Inzirqo)

Frequent Urination Among Children

Sometimes toilet-trained children begin to urinate more frequently than normal during the day, as often as every few minutes. This condition is called pollakiuria. Although there is often no identifiable cause, it can be tied to stress. The condition is usually harmless and will resolve within a few weeks or months.

If your child experiences pain or burning with urination, leaking of urine, changes in bowel movements, or similar symptoms, frequent urination may be the result of a more serious condition; contact your doctor. Otherwise, you may reassure children that they can wait longer between trips to the bathroom without fear of an accident.

How Is Frequent Urination Diagnosed?

If you’ve been urinating frequently, your doctor will start by asking about how much liquid you consume, your medical history, and what medications you are taking. To determine whether you have polyuria, the doctor may measure how much you urinate in a 24-hour period and ask you to record your fluid intake, times, and sometimes volume of urination.

You may provide a urine sample for a urinalysis to determine if you have a UTI or prostate infection.

Your doctor may call for blood tests, imaging tests to check for tumors or structural issues, or a cystoscopy to look inside your bladder.

 Measuring your blood sugar levels also can check for diabetes.

Treatment and Medication Options

Treatment for frequent urination will depend on the underlying medical cause. Although most causes of frequent urination are not serious, the condition can lead to dehydration and infections if left untreated in some cases.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat a urinary tract infection. If you have an enlarged prostate, you may receive a prescription for medication to shrink your prostate.

If you have an overactive bladder, your doctor may prescribe medications such as oxybutynin (Ditropan XL, Oxytrol, Gelnique) or solifenacin (Vesicare).

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet, insulin injections, oral medications, or some combination of these.

Prevention of Frequent Urination

Depending on your condition, your doctor may also recommend changes to your lifestyle that can reduce or prevent frequent urination. These can include:

  • Kegel exercises to strengthen bladder and pelvic muscles, if you also have incontinence
  • Changing what you drink, including alcohol and caffeine
  • Drinking less before bedtime

The Takeaway

  • Frequent urination can have many underlying causes, from drinking more than normal and taking certain medications to urinary tract infections (UTIs), diabetes, pregnancy, or prostate issues.
  • If you have other symptoms, such as discolored urine, pain, or a fever, you may have a more serious medical condition and should call your doctor.
  • Treatment for frequent urination depends on the underlying medical condition and can include medications for UTIs, an overactive bladder, or an enlarged prostate, as well as changing your diet and similar routines.
  • Lifestyle changes that could address frequent urination include drinking less alcohol and caffeine, drinking less before bedtime and overall, and Kegel exercises, if you also have incontinence.

FAQ

What is frequent urination?
Frequent urination is urinating more often than what is considered normal for you. If you are otherwise healthy, not pregnant, and younger than 70 years old, this may be urinating more than eight times every day.

In addition to urinating more often than normal, symptoms that may indicate a medical problem include discolored or smelly urine, blood in urine, painful urination, difficulty urinating, abdominal pain, loss of bladder control, and a fever.

Causes may range from drinking more caffeine or alcohol than normal to more serious conditions, such as a urinary tract infection, diabetes, cancer, a nervous system issue, or an enlarged prostate. Frequent urination is also more common among people who are pregnant or older than 70 years old.

Your doctor may ask how often you urinate and check your medical history and medications. Tests to determine the cause of frequent urination may include a urinalysis, cystoscopy, imaging tests, and blood tests.

Treatment for frequent urination depends on the underlying cause. It may include antibiotics for urinary tract infections, medication for prostate problems or overactive bladder syndrome, and lifestyle changes.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Nocturia. Cleveland Clinic. April 24, 2023.
  2. Ramírez-Guerrero G et al. Polyuria in Adults: A Diagnostic Approach Based on Pathophysiology. Revista Clinica Espanola. May 2022.
  3. Frequent Urination. Cleveland Clinic. February 25, 2025.
  4. Frequent Urination: When to See a Doctor. Mayo Clinic. May 19, 2023.
  5. Frequent Urination: Causes. Mayo Clinic. May 19, 2023.
  6. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Mayo Clinic. September 26, 2025.
  7. Maddukuri G. Excessive or Frequent Urination. Merck Manual. September 2024.
  8. Frequent or Urgent Urination. MedlinePlus. May 17, 2024.
  9. Diuretics. Mayo Clinic. September 27, 2025.
  10. Pollakiuria. St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
  11. Overactive Bladder. Mayo Clinic. February 4, 2025.
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Christopher Wolter, MD

Medical Reviewer

Christopher Wolter, MD, is an assistant professor in urology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been in practice since 2008, specializing in the areas of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, urologic reconstruction, urologic prosthetics, post prostate cancer survivorship, erectile dysfunction, neurourology and neuromodulation, and overall functional considerations of urogenital health.

Dr. Wolter has been heavily involved in urologic education. He spent the last 12 years heavily involved in resident education and leadership for his department, including the last eight years as urology residency program director. He currently serves as the director of urologic education for the preclinical and clinical rotations for the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Phoenix, Arizona, campus.

Wolter completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Illinois. He then completed his urology residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, followed by a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive urology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Kathleen Smith, PhD

Author
Kathleen Smith, PhD, is a licensed professional counselor with a private therapy practice in Washington, DC, and a freelance writer. Her writing on mental health has appeared in New York magazine and on Slate, Salon, Bustle, and Lifehacker, as well as in many psychology publications. Dr. Smith received her PhD in counseling from George Washington University. She is the author of the book Everything Isn't Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down.
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