Now that you’ve had a laugh at the title–I did when I typed it… we’ve got to have fun, folks!–I do have to get serious. Guys, if you’re peeing too much, it could be the sign of a health problem. We tend to treat going to the bathroom to pee as a minor annoyance, but it can be the sign of a bigger problem sometimes.
The first thing to do if you experiencing a lot of urination is to cut back on your liquids, mainly coffee and teas, as caffeine is known to make you pee. However, if you still find you are going to pee quite often and it’s not connected to what you are drinking, it’s time to explore the possibility of other underlying conditions causing your problem.
Frequent urination can happen day or night, and it’s often defined as going to pee more than eight times across a 24-hour period. If it happens at night more, this is a condition known as nocturia.
If you’re dealing with frequent urination, you may also wake up many times during the night to pee. You also may notice you have the urge to pee often but when you go to the bathroom, you discover you didn’t actually have to pee.
Many things can cause frequent urination. Bladder cancer is one cause, but it is more rare than some others. Diabetes, for example, commonly causes more frequent urination because your body has to work to remove that extra glucose somehow. If you have high blood pressure and are taking a diuretic, this can make you pee more. Of course, do not stop taking a diuretic if this applies to you; speak to your doctor about your options first.
In men, many prostate conditions–including cancer, a benign enlarged prostate and an inflammation of the prostate gland–can prevent the flow of urine through your urethra. If this happens, you won’t be able to completely empty your bladder when you go, making you have to pee more often to fully empty your bladder.
You don’t have to suffer from frequent urination in silence. After all, it can have a negative impact on many areas of your life, especially if it is preventing you from getting a full night of sleep. Contact a doctor if you have to pee more than you believe is normal on a daily basis.