Frequently Asked Questions –
Why does diabetes cause frequent urination? Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are too high, the kidneys begin to eliminate sugar through the urine. This process can dehydrate the body and cause excessive thirst. The extra intake of fluids can lead to frequent urination. How can you stop frequent urination? Frequent urination caused by diabetes can be managed by treating the condition with insulin or other medications. Lifestyle modifications such as avoiding caffeine and alcohol and limiting fluid intake two to four hours before bedtime can also help. Are urinary tract infections common in people with diabetes? Yes. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in people with type 2 diabetes. Women and older adults with diabetes are especially at risk of developing UTIs.
Why does a diabetic urinate so much?
Excessive thirst and increased urination – Excessive thirst and increased urination are common diabetes signs and symptoms. When you have diabetes, excess glucose — a type of sugar — builds up in your blood. Your kidneys are forced to work overtime to filter and absorb the excess glucose.
How many times should a diabetic person urinate per day?
People with diabetes may urinate as much as 20 times a day, with a full bladder every time. When you have extra glucose in your blood, due to diabetes, your kidneys work overtime to get rid of it. As this happens, the extra glucose soaks up water everywhere in your body, causing you to urinate more often.
Is frequent urination good for diabetes?
– In addition to more frequent trips to the bathroom, diabetes can also affect urine in other ways. This can include:
Sweet-smelling urine : As the body tries to remove excess glucose via the urine, it may have a sweet scent. Foamy urine : This typically occurs when there is protein in the urine, This may be due to high blood glucose levels from diabetes damaging the kidneys and affecting their ability to filter blood. A burning sensation : Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of a burning sensation when urinating and commonly affect people with diabetes. Urine retention : High blood glucose can cause nerve damage, which may lead to some people having difficulty when urinating.
How many times do diabetics pee at night?
Frequent Urination Could Be Related to Diabetes – When there is excess glucose present in the blood, as with type 2 diabetes, the kidneys are not able to handle all of it and have to flush some out of the blood and into the urine, Ovalle says. This results in more urine production and increased urinary frequency and urgency, called polyuria.
Is drinking a lot of water good for diabetics?
1. Water – When it comes to hydration, water is the best option for people with diabetes. That’s because it won’t raise your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can cause dehydration, Drinking enough water can help your body eliminate excess glucose through urine.
adding slices of lemon, lime, or orangeadding sprigs of flavorful herbs, such as mint, basil, or lemon balmcrushing a couple of fresh or frozen raspberries into your drink
Does metformin increase urination?
The body removes the excess glucose in the urine, taking water from the body with it. This can lead to excessive thirst and the need to drink and urinate more.
Which type of diabetes causes frequent urination?
Polyuria occurs when your body urinates more frequently—and often in larger amounts—than normal. Frequent urination is also a symptom of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes that can lead to extreme dehydration and eventually affect your kidney function.
Is peeing 3 times at night normal?
Overview A good night’s sleep helps you feel rested and refreshed in the morning. However, when you have the frequent urge to use the restroom at night, a good night’s sleep can be hard to achieve. If you find yourself waking up to urinate more than twice each night, you may have a condition called nocturia.
Is coffee good for people with diabetes?
Does caffeine affect blood sugar? – Answer From M. Regina Castro, M.D. The average U.S. adult drinks about two 8-ounce (240-milliliter) cups of coffee a day, which can contain around 280 milligrams of caffeine. For most young, healthy adults, caffeine doesn’t appear to noticeably affect blood sugar (glucose) levels, and having up to 400 milligrams a day appears to be safe.
- Some studies suggest that drinking coffee — whether caffeinated and decaffeinated — may actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- If you already have diabetes, however, the impact of caffeine on insulin action may be associated with higher or lower blood sugar levels.
- For some people with diabetes, about 200 milligrams of caffeine — or the equivalent of one to two 8-ounce (240-milliliter) cups of plain, brewed coffee — may cause this effect.
Caffeine affects every person differently. If you have diabetes or you’re struggling to control your blood sugar levels, limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet may provide a benefit. With M. Regina Castro, M.D.
Can frequent urination be cured?
Medications – After menopause, vaginal estrogen therapy can help strengthen the muscles and tissues in the urethra and vaginal area. Vaginal estrogen comes in the form of cream, suppository, tablet, or ring, and can significantly improve symptoms of overactive bladder.
Tolterodine (Detrol) Oxybutynin, which can be taken as a pill (Ditropan XL) or used as a skin patch (Oxytrol) or gel (Gelnique) Trospium Solifenacin (Vesicare) Fesoterodine (Toviaz) Mirabegron (Myrbetriq)
Common side effects of most of these drugs include dry eyes and dry mouth, but drinking water to quench thirst can aggravate symptoms of overactive bladder. Constipation — another potential side effect — can aggravate your bladder symptoms. Extended-release forms of these medications, including the skin patch or gel, may cause fewer side effects.
What vitamin helps with bladder control?
We all know it’s important to get enough nutrients in our diet. Many of you probably already take a multi-vitamin. But did you know that there are nutrients that may actually help, (or in some cases, hurt) your bladder health? From calming bladder spasms to helping guard the pelvic floor muscles, vitamins may be just the thing you’re missing in your treatment plan.
Of course, as with everything, there are conditions here. Some vitamins help with incontinence symptoms, but you need to be careful with dosing since higher doses may exasperate the issue. And, as with all vitamins, it’s best to get them straight from the source – food – rather than relying on supplements, which typically are not FDA-approved and have the potential to interact with other medications you may be taking.
Here’s the scoop on three essential vitamins and how they may (or may not) help control bladder leaks. Vitamin C found in foods. A study done on vitamin c intake in 2060 women, aged 30-79 years of age found that high-dose intake of vitamin c and calcium were positively associated with urinary storage or incontinence, whereas vitamin C from foods and beverages were associated with decreased urinary urgency.
- Good sources of Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, green and red peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, and tomatoes (including tomato juice!).
- But steer clear of high dose supplements to avoid aggravating an already leaky bladder.
- Vitamin D.
- Vitamin D is known to help with bone health, as well as the immune system, hearth health, blood sugar levels and mood regulation.
Studies have also found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of pelvic floor disorders. And, in one study of older women, the risk of developing urinary incontinence was 45% lower among those with normal vitamin D levels. The best way to get most of the vitamin D you need is from sun exposure, but it’s also found in many dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and eggs, fish and supplements.
- Magnesium.
- Magnesium helps your body with a host of functions, including lowering high blood pressure, regulating mood, and helping to guard against Type 2 diabetes.
- It also ensures our muscles and nerves function properly, and some experts believe that it may help improve incontinence symptoms by reducing bladder muscle spasms, and allowing the bladder to empty.
Good sources of magnesium: bananas, avocados, black beans, cooked quinoa, certain fish, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds. An important note: While supplements can help if you’re just not able to get the proper nutrients from your diet, most experts agree that getting your vitamins and minerals from real food is best.
Always try to eat as many fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein as your diet allows to ensure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need. And if you decide to start taking a supplement, talk to your doctor first to make sure it won’t make your condition worse, or interact with any of your current medications.
BHealth Blog RSS Learn about other ways to control bladder leaks here.
What is the best supplement for frequent urination?
Magnesium – Magnesium is important for proper muscle and nerve function. Some doctors believe better magnesium levels can reduce bladder spasms, a common cause of incontinence. Magnesium levels can be checked through a blood test at your next doctor’s visit.
Have to pee every 2 hours at night?
Normally, the amount of urine your body produces decreases at night. This allows most people to sleep 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate. Some people wake up from sleep more often to urinate during the night. This can disrupt sleep cycles. Drinking too much fluid during the evening can cause you to urinate more often during the night.
Infection of the bladder or urinary tractDrinking a lot of alcohol, caffeine, or other fluids before bedtimeEnlarged prostate gland ( benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH )Pregnancy
Other conditions that can lead to the problem include:
Chronic kidney failureDiabetes Drinking excessive amount of water Heart failureHigh blood calcium levelCertain medicines, including water pills (diuretics) Diabetes insipidus Swelling of the legs
Waking often during the night to urinate can also be linked to obstructive sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders. Nocturia may go away when the sleeping problem is under control. Stress and restlessness can also cause you to wake up at night. To monitor the problem:
Keep a diary of how much fluid you drink, how often you urinate, and how much you urinate. Record your body weight at the same times and on the same scale daily.
Contact your health care provider if:
Waking to urinate more often continues over several days.You are bothered by the number of times you must urinate during the night. You have a burning sensation when urinating.
Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions such as:
When did the problem start and has it changed over time?How often do you urinate each night and how much urine do you release each time?Do you ever have “accidents” or bedwetting ?What makes the problem worse or better?How much fluid do you drink before bedtime? Have you tried limiting fluids before bedtime?What other symptoms do you have? Do you have increased thirst, pain or burning on urination, fever, abdominal pain, or back pain?What medicines are you taking? Have you changed your diet?Do you drink caffeine and alcohol? If so, how much do you consume each day and when during the day?Have you had any bladder infections in the past?Do you have a family history of diabetes ?Does nighttime urination interfere with your sleep?
Tests that may be performed include:
Blood sugar (glucose) Blood urea nitrogen Fluid deprivation Osmolality, blood Serum creatinine or creatinine clearance Serum electrolytes Urinalysis Urine concentration Urine cultureYou may be asked to keep track of how much liquid you take in and how much you void at a time (voiding diary)
Treatment depends on the cause. If excessive nighttime urination is due to diuretic medicines, you may be told to take your medicine earlier in the day. Carter C. Urinary tract disorders. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine,9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 40.
Elsamra SE. Evaluation of the urologic patient: history and physical examination. In: Partin AW, Domochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology,12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 1. Landry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds.
Goldman-Cecil Medicine,26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 106. Lightner DJ, Gomelsky A, Souter L, Vasavada SP. Diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder (non-neurogenic) in adults: AUA/SUFU Guideline Amendment 2019. J Urol,2019;202(3):558-563.
PMID: 31039103 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31039103/, Samarinas M, Gravas S. The relationship between inflammation and LUTS/BPH. In: Morgia G, ed. Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Cambridge, MA: Elsevier Academic Press; 2018:chap 3. Updated by: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
When should I worry about frequent urination?
Make an appointment with your doctor if you’re urinating more frequently than usual and if: There’s no apparent cause, such as drinking more total fluids, alcohol or caffeine. The problem disrupts your sleep or everyday activities. You have other urinary problems or worrisome symptoms.
Why do diabetics wake up in the middle of the night?
Low blood glucose at night – When blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/dl while sleeping at night, the person experiences a condition called nocturnal hypoglycemia. Studies suggest that almost half of all episodes of low blood glucose — and more than half of all severe episodes — occur at night during sleep.
What can I take to stop peeing all the time?
How it works – Mirabegron is a medication approved to treat certain types of urinary incontinence. It relaxes the bladder muscle and can increase how much urine the bladder can hold. It might also increase the amount you’re able to urinate at one time. This may help you to empty the bladder more completely. Mirabegron is available as a tablet or granules.