Do you feel as if you constantly have to go to the bathroom or find yourself needing to pee again right after you've just gone? If so, you may have, what physicians call, frequent urination. Show It's normal to pee about six to eight times a day, but if you're peeing more than that — especially if you're experiencing other related symptoms like pain or a strong, urgent need to pee — this can be a sign of prostate, or other bladder issues. Here are six common causes for that urgent need to pee right after you already went. 1. Drinking excessive fluids or irritantsIt's expected that you will have to pee more frequently than normal, says Dr. Courtenay Moore, a urologist and clinical associate professor of urology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, if:
Common bladder irritants are:
Treatment: The main course of action is to avoid or limit bladder irritants in your diet, says Moore. Experiment with cutting out specific foods or drinks and see if this makes a difference in your frequent urges to pee. You can also try drinking smaller amounts of liquid throughout the whole day rather than drinking large amounts all at once. This doesn't mean you should dehydrate yourself — and in fact, dehydration can also irritate your bladder. You still want to consume an adequate amount of fluid throughout the day, which can come from both food and drink. Men should aim for 125 ounces of fluid daily, and women should consume 91 ounces of fluid daily. 2. Urinary tract infectionIf harmful bacteria enter the urinary tract, an infection can ensue. Urinary tract infections can cause inflammation in the bladder, which in turn causes the bladder to become overactive, says Dr. Ramesh Krishnan, a urologist at Memorial Hermann Medical Group. Aside from frequent urination, other UTI symptoms include:
Treatment: A doctor can test a urine sample to see if you have a UTI. Since bacteria cause UTIs, Krishnan says the treatment is antibiotics. It's important to treat UTIs and finish the course of antibiotics as prescribed so the infection doesn't progress further to the kidneys, which can cause permanent kidney damage in severe cases. 3. Overactive bladderPeople with an overactive bladder, also known as OAB, experience frequent and acute urges to urinate. This happens because:
Other OAB symptoms include:
OAB is broad, and there are many possible underlying causes, such as:
Treatment: Determining an underlying cause and treating it can help reduce symptoms. Additionally, Moore says some treatment approaches for OAB include:
4. Interstitial cystitisInterstitial cystitis, sometimes referred to as painful-bladder syndrome, is a chronic condition that results in pain in the pelvic region and frequent urination. Moore says people with IC tend to go to the bathroom a lot since peeing can temporarily relieve the bladder pain they're experiencing, and pain is worse when the bladder is full. As a result, people with IC tend to pee just a little bit, frequently throughout the day. The pain can range from mild to severe. In severe cases, Moore says you may even go to the bathroom about 50 times a day. The condition is much more common in women than men. Treatment: There isn't a specific test for IC, so testing will involve ruling out infections and cancer. If IC is the suspected diagnosis, treatment options are very similar to OAB treatment, including:
In more severe cases, Moore says, a surgical procedure called cystoscopy with hydrodistension can help stretch the bladder so you can comfortably hold more urine. 5. Pelvic-floor issuesThe pelvic floor refers to the group of muscles that support your pelvic organs. Some issues with the pelvic floor can result in frequent urination. For example, pelvic-floor dysfunction may cause your pelvic-floor muscles to spasm, which results in feeling as if you need to pee a lot, Moore says. Other symptoms of pelvic-floor dysfunction include:
Pelvic-floor dysfunction can occur in both women and men. But pelvic-organ prolapse, another pelvic issue, occurs only in women. The symptoms of pelvic-organ prolapse include:
Treatment: The main treatment for pelvic-floor issues is pelvic-floor physical therapy, which will help you learn how to retrain and relax your pelvic-floor muscles. In the case of pelvic-organ prolapse, on top of physical therapy, using a device called a pessary that's inserted into the vagina, which can help support and stabilize the organs. In more severe cases, you may need surgery. 6. Prostate issuesIn men, prostate issues, particularly an enlarged prostate, can cause frequent urges to pee, Krishnan says. A common cause of this is benign prostatic hyperplasia, or benign prostate gland enlargement. Aside from frequent urination, other symptoms include:
BPH is more likely the cause, but it's possible a more serious problem, such as prostate cancer is causing your frequent urination. On top of frequent bathroom visits, some other prostate cancer symptoms include:
Treatment: If your enlarged prostate is benign, treatment typically involves medications or minimally invasive procedures, Krishnan says. In some severe cases, more-invasive surgeries may be necessary. If cancer is the cause of your prostate trouble, common treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Insider's takeawayPeeing more than six to eight times a day and feeling as if you need to pee even though you've recently peed are signs of frequent urination. Since there are many possible reasons for frequent urination, it's best to see a doctor if you're experiencing symptoms so you can determine the cause and the right course of treatment. Ashley Laderer Ashley Laderer is a freelance writer from New York who specializes in health and wellness. Follow her on Twitter @ashladerer How do we feel the urge to urinate?Over time, your bladder fills up and expands like a balloon, putting tension on the bladder muscles. At a certain point, the body senses that it is reaching a limit, which triggers the urge to urinate. But how your body senses a full bladder isn't known.
Why do I feel like I still have to pee after peeing?A urinary tract infection (UTI)
Besides frequent urination, signs of a UTI include fever, a burning feeling when you pee, discolored urine and constantly feeling like you need to pee (even after peeing). You may also feel bladder pressure or discomfort in your back or around your pelvis.
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