Excessive Urination at Night (Nocturia)

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Excessive Urination at Night (Nocturia)

• What Is Nocturia?

Nocturia, or nocturnal polyuria, is the medical
term for excessive urination during the night.
During sleep time, your body produces less urine
that is more concentrated. This means that most
people dont need to wake up during the night to
urinate and can sleep uninterrupted for six to
eight hours. If you need to wake up several
times in the night to urinate, you may be
suffering from excessive urination at night. As
well as disrupting your sleep, nocturia can be a
sign of an underlying medical condition.
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What Are the Causes of Nocturia?

• Causes of nocturia range from lifestyle choices
  to medical conditions. Nocturia is most common
  among older adults, but it can occur at any age.

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Medical Conditions

• A variety of medical conditions can cause
  nocturia. One of the most common causes of
  nocturia is a urinary tract infection (UTI) or
  bladder infection. These infections cause
  frequent burning sensations and urgent urination
  throughout the day and night, and treatment
  usually requires antibiotics.
• Other medical conditions that can cause nocturia
  include
• infection or enlargement of the prostate bladder
  prolapse overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome tumors
  of the bladder, prostate, or pelvic area diabetes
  anxiety kidney infection
• edema, or swelling, of the lower legs
• neurological disorders, such as multiple
  sclerosis (MS), Parkinsons disease, or spinal
  cord compression
• Nocturia is also common in people with organ
  failure typically either heart or liver failure
  and those who suffer from diabetes.

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• Pregnancy
• Nocturia can be an early symptom of pregnancy.
  This can develop at the beginning of pregnancy,
  but is more common later, when the womb presses
  against the bladder.
• Sleep Apnea
• Nocturia can be a symptom of obstructive sleep
  apnea. This can occur even if the bladder is not
  full. Once the sleep apnea is controlled, the
  nocturia usually goes away.
• Medications
• Some medications may cause nocturia as a side
  effect. This is particularly true of diuretics
  (water pills), which are prescribed to treat high
  blood pressure.
• You should seek emergency medical care from a
  doctor if you lose the ability to urinate, or if
  you can no longer control urination.

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Lifestyle Choices

• Another common cause of nocturia is excessive
  fluid consumption. Alcohol and caffeinated
  beverages are diuretics, which means that
  drinking them causes your body to produce more
  urine. Consuming either alcohol or caffeinated
  beverages in excess can lead to waking up and
  needing to urinate at night.
• Other people who have nocturia have simply
  developed a habit of waking up during the night
  to urinate.

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How Is Nocturia Diagnosed?

• Diagnosing the cause of nocturia can be
  difficult. Your doctor will need to ask a variety
  of questions. It can be useful to maintain a
  diary for a few days, recording what you drink
  and how much, along with how often you go to the
  toilet.
• Questions your doctor may ask you include
• When did nocturia start?
• How many times a night do you have to urinate?
• Are you producing less urine than you did before?

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• Do you have accidents or have you wet the bed?
• Does anything make the problem worse?
• Do you have any other symptoms?
• What medications are you taking?
• Do you have a family history of bladder problems
  or diabetes?
• You may also undergo testing such as
• blood sugar test (to check for diabetes)
• blood urea test
• urine culture
• fluid deprivation test
• imaging tests, such as ultrasounds

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How Can Nocturia Be Prevented?

• Nocturia can be a difficult and sometimes
  embarrassing condition to live with, but there
  are steps you can take to lessen its impact on
  your life.
• Reducing the amount you drink before going to bed
  can help prevent you from having to urinate at
  night. Avoiding drinks that contain alcohol and
  caffeine may also help, as can urinating before
  you go to bed. Some food items act as diuretics
  as well, like chocolate, spicy foods, and
  artificial sweeteners. Kegel exercises can help
  strengthen your pelvic muscles and improve
  bladder control.
• Pay close attention to what exacerbates your
  symptoms so you can try to modify your habits
  accordingly. Some people find it helpful to keep
  a diary of what they drink and when.

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