10 Causes of Frequent Urination

Written by Karla Robinson, MD | Reviewed by Mandy Armitage, MD Published on June 10, 2022

Key takeaways:

• The number of times you pee throughout the day varies. But if you notice a change in how often you pee, or if you need to pee more than six times a day, you may have urinary frequency.
• Urinary frequency is not just a normal part of aging. There’s usually a source for your symptoms that you or your healthcare provider can figure out.
• There’s treatment for most causes of urinary frequency, but the first step is to pinpoint the specific cause.

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If you have to urinate a lot, you know that it can get in the way of your day-to-day activities. Getting up to run to the bathroom during a meeting can be annoying. But frequent urination can also cause larger disruptions. You may lose sleep at night if you’re constantly waking up to urinate. Here’s the good news: The cause of your frequent urination may have a straightforward treatment.

How often should you pee?

The amount an adult should pee everyday varies from person to person. And it can vary from day to day. But the average person can pee up to six times per day without reason for concern. Having to go more often than that might meet the criteria for frequent urination. So it’s a good idea to visit your healthcare provider if you notice a change in your urinary habits or if you’ve been peeing a lot for some time. 

Top 10 reasons why you need to pee a lot

Anything that affects your urinary tract can lead to frequent urination. That’s because your urinary tract is made up of the organs that produce and store urine in your body. This includes your:

• Kidneys (make urine)
• Ureters (carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder)
• Bladder (stores urine)
• Urethra (carries urine from the bladder for you to pee)

If you find yourself having to pee many times throughout the day, there may be a common reason for it. Here are 10 reasons why you might be in the bathroom all day (or night).

1. Urinary tract infection (UTI)

A urinary tract infection (UTI) may be the reason you have to pee a lot. A UTI happens when there’s an infection in the organs of your urinary tract. UTIs are common. In fact, up to 60% of people with a vagina report having a UTI at some point in their lifetime.

Besides frequent urination, other symptoms of a UTI include:

• Blood in the urine, cloudy urine, or a strong odor to the urine
• Burning with urination
• Lower belly pain
• Fever
• Back pain
• Having to pee urgently, sometimes with very little urine
• Nausea or vomiting

Treatment for a UTI includes antibiotics and medications to help with pain and fever. 

2. Diabetes

Diabetes is a common cause of frequent urination. In this condition, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it has. This can lead to increased blood glucose (blood sugar) levels and serious complications for your kidneys and other organs. 

Your kidneys have many jobs. This includes helping to:

• Remove toxins from the bloodstream through urine
• Control blood pressure
• Make blood cells
• Keep bones healthy and strong
• Balance fluids in the body

When your blood sugar levels are high, your kidneys work hard to remove the extra sugar from your bloodstream. This can cause you to make more urine and have to pee more often. Over time, diabetes can lead to damage in the blood vessels that keep the kidneys healthy. About 1 in 3 adults with diabetes has chronic kidney disease. 

In addition to peeing often, other signs of uncontrolled diabetes may be:

• Increased thirst
• Hunger
• Blurry vision
• Fatigue
• Weight loss

3. Pregnancy 

Frequent urination is common in pregnancy. In early pregnancy, hormonal changes can give you the urge to pee more often. Urinary frequency can be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Other signs of pregnancy can include:

• Missed period
• Vaginal spotting
• Nausea and vomiting
• Breast tenderness and swelling
• Fatigue
• Headaches

You may also have frequent urination in later stages of pregnancy. That’s because the growing uterus can put pressure on your bladder. While pregnant, you’re also at an increased risk of developing a UTI. Sometimes this may be another reason for urinary frequency in pregnancy.

4. Appendicitis 

An inflamed appendix from appendicitis may lead you to pee more often. Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency. In fact, it’s the most common reason people have surgery on their abdomen. Appendicitis happens when stool and other debris gets trapped in the appendix, causing it to swell. 

Because of the location of the appendix, swelling of it can irritate your ureter or bladder. This can cause you to have urinary frequency. Some common symptoms of appendicitis are:

• Right lower belly pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Constipation

In severe cases, the appendix can rupture and lead to a serious infection in the belly. That’s why appendicitis most often requires surgery for treatment. So it’s important to recognize the signs early. If you’re concerned that you may have appendicitis, seek medical attention right away.

5. Medication

The medications you take can sometimes be the cause of your frequent urination. Some of the more common ones include:

• Diuretics (like hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, and spironolactone)
• Calcium channel blockers (like amlodipine and diltiazem)
• Beta blockers (like metoprolol and carvedilol)
• Mood stabilizers (like lithium)
• SGLT2 inhibitors for diabetes (like Farxiga and Jardiance)

If you start a new medication and notice that you have to pee more, let your medical provider know.

6. Drinking too much

What you drink can cause you to pee more often. If you take in lots of water, you’ll likely notice that you urinate more. Alcoholic drinks and beverages with caffeine can also cause urinary frequency. This is commonly the issue if you’re urinating often at night. 

If you find yourself peeing too much (especially at night) you can try to:

• Decrease your fluid intake several hours before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine after midday
• Avoid alcoholic beverages 

7. Constipation

Sometimes constipation causes urinary frequency. If you have fewer than three bowel movements in a week, you may have constipation. This can cause the rectum to swell with stool and push on the bladder. The enlarged rectum leaves less room for the bladder to fill and creates an urge to pee more often. 

Constipation has many causes. These include:

• Diet (like a lack of fiber or water)
• Lack of exercise 
• Medications (like opioids or antihistamines)
• Medical conditions (like hypothyroidism)
• Pregnancy

Treatment for constipation depends on the cause. Your healthcare provider can help you figure out why you aren’t having many bowel movements. Sometimes increasing your water and fiber intake helps. In some cases, medications help. Common over-the-counter (OTC) medications for constipation are:

• Stool softeners (like docusate sodium)
• Suppositories (ike Bisacodyl)
• Laxatives (like Senna, Miralax)
• Enemas

8. Fibroids

Uterine fibroids can also make you pee more often. These are growths that can happen either inside or on the outside of the uterus. Fibroids are common. In fact, half of people with a uterus will develop fibroids by the age of 50.

Sometimes fibroids grow large. When this happens, the uterus can put pressure on the bladder and cause urinary frequency. Other symptoms of fibroids are:

• Heavy or long-lasting periods
• Painful menstrual cramps
• Irregular bleeding between periods
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Pain with sex

Treatment for fibroids can range from medication to surgery. So, if you have any of these symptoms, let your healthcare provider know. If you have fibroids, they can create a treatment plan that works best for you.

9. Overactive bladder

An overactive bladder (OAB) can cause bladder spasms that lead to urinary frequency. This happens when the bladder muscle contracts suddenly, giving you the feeling that you have to pee urgently. This can lead to accidents if you aren’t able to make it to the bathroom in time. 

OAB is common and affects about 12% of people. There’s a misconception that this is a normal part of aging. But OAB is actually a condition you can treat. 

Some factors that may put you at risk for OAB include:

• Nerve disorders that interrupt the signal between your brain and bladder
• Hormonal changes
• Pelvic floor weakness or spasms
• A urinary tract infection
• Certain medications
• Medical conditions that affect the brain (like stroke and multiple sclerosis)

If you are concerned about OAB, talk to your provider about getting checked for this condition.

10. Prostate enlargement

An enlarged prostate can make you pee a lot, often through the night. It’s commonly recognized as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate is a gland that sits underneath the bladder in those with a penis, and it helps to make semen. This gland gets bigger as you age, and half of people who have a prostate develop BPH by age 60. As the prostate enlarges, you can have trouble emptying your bladder completely. This can trigger urinary frequency.

Other symptoms of BPH are:

• A strong urge to urinate
• Difficulty when starting to urinate
• A weak urine stream
• Urinating many times at night
• Painful urination
• Pain after ejaculating
• Not emptying the bladder after urinating
• Passing urine unintentionally

If you have any of these symptoms, talk with your healthcare provider. They will need to evaluate you and figure out the cause of your urinary problems.

The bottom line

Having to pee frequently can be alarming. And it can be disruptive when it causes you to lose sleep at night. If you notice that you have to run to the bathroom often, don’t assume it’s a normal part of aging. In most cases, urinary frequency is due to an underlying cause that you can treat. If you have urinary symptoms, be sure to talk to your provider to figure out the source.