Frequent urination (polyuria): symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition

What is polyuria?

Polyuria is a condition when the body produces urine (urine) in excess. This condition, which includes bladder disease, makes you want to urinate more often. When urinating, the urine that is excreted is much more than it should be.

Each person's urine production is different. Even so, the average adult body can produce 0.8-2 liters of normal urine a day, with an estimated fluid intake of 2 liters from drinking water or other sources.

Urine volume can be said to be excessive if it has passed 2.5 liters a day. In patients with polyuria, urine production can even reach 15 liters in 24 hours. As a result, you often go back and forth to the bathroom.

Polyuria generally occurs due to certain diseases. Therefore, the treatment of polyuria needs to be adjusted according to the disease that triggers it. If the disease cannot be cured, then polyuria can be treated with drugs.

Polyuria that is not handled properly can have long-term effects. The excretion of large amounts of urine can result in hyponatremia (low levels of sodium in the blood), coma, and death.

Symptoms

What are the symptoms of polyuria?

The main symptom of frequent urination, of course, is frequent urge to urinate. Healthy adults urinate normally 6-7 times a day. Urinating up to 10 times in 24 hours is still quite normal as long as there are no complaints and the urine looks normal.

Polyuria sufferers can urinate up to a dozen times a day. They may also wake up frequently during sleep because they want to urinate at night (nocturia) or a condition known as nocturia.

If polyuria is caused by certain diseases such as diabetes or kidney failure, you may also experience symptoms. Symptoms of polyuria in diabetics are usually accompanied by polydipsia (frequent thirst) and polyphagia (excessive hunger).

When do you need to see a doctor?

There are many factors that can provoke the urge to urinate, from food, drink, to anxiety. If the trigger is not a disease, you don't need to worry because this condition is only temporary.

However, you should consult your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:

Frequent urination even if you don't drink a lot of water, alcohol, or caffeinated beverages.
Feeling like urinating interferes with sleep or daily activities.
There are signs of urinary tract infection such as painful urination, difficulty urinating, and bloody urine.

Frequent urination can also indicate a more serious disease, such as kidney infection (pyelonephritis), spinal cord disorders, and even cancer. Immediately visit a doctor if conditions occur:

polyuria suddenly in children,
fever,
back pain,
weight loss drastically.
night sweats, and
legs or arms become weak.

Cause

What causes excessive urine production?

Polyuria usually occurs because a person consumes excessive fluids. The more fluids that enter your body, the more urine will form in the kidneys.

Some types of drinks can also make you pee more often because they are diuretic. Drinks such as coffee, tea, and alcohol increase salt and water levels in urine so that the volume of urine produced also increases.

Heavy drinking polyuria is not a big problem because it gets better on its own. On the other hand, there are also a number of diseases that cause frequent urination, such as:

Diabetes type 1 and 2. The kidneys cannot filter sugar in the blood. As a result, the urine that comes out also carries a lot of fluids so that you urinate frequently.
Diabetes insipidus. This disease makes it difficult for the body to control the amount of fluid. As a result, you are often thirsty and always want to urinate.
Kidney illness. If the function decreases, the kidneys cannot produce urine as before. One of the effects is excess urine production.
Pregnancy. Pregnancy can trigger gestational diabetes. This disease triggers the same impact as diabetes mellitus on urine production.
Liver disease. The function of the liver is to break down waste substances and channel it to the kidneys for disposal. Disorders of the liver can affect kidney function.
Worry. Excess anxiety can upset the vasopressin balance. This substance controls the water content in the kidneys.
Cushing's syndrome. This is a condition when the hormone cortisol is too high. Cortisol affects the hormones that play a role in urine formation.
Hypercalcemia. Too much calcium in the blood can affect kidney function and the hormones that play a role in urine production.

Certain medications can also affect urine formation and make you urinate more frequently. The following include:

Calcium channel blockers. This medicine dilates the blood vessels so that more blood flows to the kidneys for filtering.
Lithium. This drug is used to treat disorders mood. If consumed regularly, lithium can trigger polyuria and polydipsia.
Diuretic. Like diuretic drinks in the form of tea or coffee, this drug increases salt and water levels in the urine.
Tetracycline. These antibiotics affect hormones that are important in urine production.
SSRI. Medicines for depression can block the hormones needed to control urine formation.

Diagnosis

How is polyuria diagnosed?

Basically, there is no specific method for diagnosing polyuria. This is because polyuria is not a disease, but a medical condition that is a symptom of a particular disease.

However, doctors can still diagnose the disease that triggers polyuria as soon as signs appear. The process and duration of diagnosis may vary from person to person, depending on what disease is behind it.

When you check yourself for complaints of frequent urination, your doctor will likely do:

Symptom check. You do this by finding out how much urine you produce and whether you often experience thirst.
Medical history. Your doctor needs to know if you have had surgery or have had a head injury, stroke, urinary system disease, and so on.
Physical examination. The doctor will check for signs of diabetes, hypercalcemia, cancer, or other health problems.
Blood test. The examination aims to see the condition of electrolytes, calcium, and sodium.
Blood glucose test. This examination aims to find out if you have diabetes.
Pituitary function test. The pituitary gland produces the hormone ADH, which is important in urine production. Disorders of the pituitary can affect urine.

Doctors usually also do a urine test called a 24 hour volume test. You will be asked to take a urine sample and bring it back to the hospital. After 24 hours, you will be asked to repeat it one more time.

You are not allowed to consume any fluids for the next 8 hours. Then, your urine sample will be checked again. This kidney examination can measure kidney damage and hormones that play a role in urine production.

Medicine and Medicine

How to treat polyuria?

Polyuria treatment depends on the cause. If polyuria is caused by diabetes, treatment is of course aimed at controlling blood sugar so that the kidneys can function as well as possible.

If polyuria is caused by certain drugs, you can treat it by stopping taking the drug and looking for alternatives. The same thing applies when polyuria is triggered by the habit of drinking diuretic drinks.

As a result of frequent, untreated urination, you may experience a number of complications.

Home Care

How to control polyuria symptoms at home?

Polyuria that is not caused by disease can be treated with a few lifestyle changes at home. Here are some ways to deal with frequent urination that can help you.

Limit consumption of caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
Drink enough water, but not in excess. Polyuria can lead to dehydration. Drinking at least eight glasses of water every day can help prevent this.
Remember how often you urinate and the amount of urine that comes out.
Don't drink a lot of water before bed.
Understand the side effects of the drugs you are taking.

Polyuria is a urinary system disorder characterized by frequent urination. Polyuria caused by frequent drinking is usually not a cause for concern, but keep an eye out for signs that you are experiencing.

Polyuria is not actually a disease, but a condition of health problems. Therefore, treatment of polyuria needs to be adjusted according to the symptoms. If you feel symptoms of polyuria, consult your doctor to get the right treatment.