There could be a lot of different causes of frequent urination in women – a condition also known as urinary frequency. We look at some of the common causes that underlie the need to go to the bathroom more frequently and the importance of making a diagnosis based on it as well as other symptoms.
Common causes of frequent urination in women
Frequent urination is defined as having to go to the bathroom more than 8 times a day or having to get up more than once during the night to urinate. There are two aspects of urinary frequency: either a woman is producing larger quantities of urine at a time or that she is passing smaller amounts more frequently.
Diabetes
It is one of the most common causes of frequent urination in women. Urinary frequency is one of the first symptoms of the disease for several reasons. Increased hunger and thirst (also symptoms of diabetes) could cause greater intake of water, so that one needs to go to the bathroom more often.
Also high blood sugar means that the body tries to get rid of the excess glucose by way of excretion. Further the disease may cause damage to the nerves controlling the bladder, which could make it more difficult to contain urine.
Urinary tract infection
This may be another common cause for causes of frequent urination in women. Infection in the bladder will cause irritation and inflammation, so that there may be the constant urge to go even if there is little actual urine passed. A burning sensation often accompanies the passage of urine.
Pregnancy
Hormonal upheavals start in a woman’s body when she becomes pregnant and these could have her going to the bathroom more often. In later pregnancy it could be the growing uterus putting pressure on the bladder that causes urinary frequency. Childbirth itself can be responsible for urinary frequency after the pregnancy, because in some cases there could be trauma to the urethra during a vaginal delivery.
Medications
Certain medications can have a diuretic effect or taking diuretics will have the effect of producing more urine. Blood pressure medications can often have this impact.
Interstitial cystitis
This could be another of the causes of frequent urination in women which could cause pain and inflammation in the bladder even in the absence of a bacterial infection (as in the case of urinary tract infections).
Having an overactive bladder
This is more likely to happen as a woman gets older. Over activity of the Detrusor urinae muscle is the reason usually attributed to this condition.
Diet
Certain foods can have a diuretic effect, such as caffeine, colas, excess alcohol. Also artificial sweeteners are known to irritate the bladder and hence increase urination.
Less common causes of frequent urination in women
In rare cases, it could be serious conditions such as bladder cancer that are responsible for the urinary urgency. The presence of tumors could cause the problem and it could be accompanied by bleeding along with passage of urine. Radiation therapy could also cause urinary frequency, as could certain types of bladder dysfunction.
