What Causes Urinary Frequency In Females

Bladder Training And Exercises

Other treatments address frequent urination rather than an underlying cause. These include the below.

• Kegel exercises: These regular daily exercises, which people often perform during pregnancy, can strengthen the muscles of the pelvis and urethra and support the bladder. For best results, perform Kegel exercises 1020 times per set, three times a day, for at least 48 weeks.
• Biofeedback therapy: A person combines this treatment with Kegel exercises to enable them to become more aware of how their body functions. This increased awareness can help them improve the control of their pelvic muscles.
• Bladder training: This involves training the bladder to hold urine longer.
• Monitoring fluid intake: This may reveal that drinking a lot at certain times is the main cause of frequent urination.

When To Visit A Urologist For Frequent Urination

Frequent urination may cause symptoms like painful urination, feeling like you still have to pee even after peeing, smelly or cloudy urine, bloody urine, abdominal pain, back pain, fever, chills, nausea, unusual vaginal discharge. If your frequent urination is not due to overhydration, too much caffeine, or pregnancy isnt behind your frequent urination or if frequent urination is disturbing your daily life its definitely the right time to schedule a visit with a urologist near you. It is very important to get an accurate diagnosis at right time.

Frequent Urination Causes And Risk Factors

1. Bladder conditions

One major cause of frequent urination is a condition thats affecting your bladder in some way. This can be an infection or injury of the bladder, or it can be muscle, nerve or tissue changes that are affecting your bladder function. Some specific conditions that involve the bladder and may be causing frequent urination include:

• Bladder stones a buildup of minerals that form in the urinary bladder and occurs more frequently in men.
• Overactive bladder a condition that doesnt allow the bladder to hold urine properly, which results in problems like urine incontinence and leaky urine.
• Interstitial cystitis also called painful bladder syndrome, this is a chronic condition that causes bladder pain and pressure, resulting in frequent urination.

2. Prostate conditions

The prostate is a gland thats located in the male reproductive system, just below the bladder. Frequent urination is one of the warning signs that you may have an issue with your prostate health, such as:

• Enlarged prostate when the prostate becomes enlarged and pushes against the bladder and urinary tract.
• Prostatitis an infectious disease that involves the prostate gland and can cause symptoms like frequent urination, fever, nausea, vomiting, pain during urination and an urgent feed to urinate.

3. Kidney conditions

4. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes

5. Urinary tract infections

6. Sexually transmitted diseases

7. Pregnancy

8. Stroke

9. Certain medications

10. Excess consumption of fluids

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Diagnosis And Physical Examination

Patients presenting with pure urinary urgency and frequency symptoms must initially be evaluated by a urologist for a complete workup of their voiding dysfunction, including postvoid residuals and urodynamic testing. Men should have a thorough prostate examination. As with urinary incontinence, a thorough evaluation of patients with urinary frequency and urgency includes a full medical history and physical examination to assess for medical or neurogenic causes. A complete neurologic examination with special attention to the sacral neuronal pathways from S1 to S4 as well as the assessment of perineal sensation, bulbocavernosus reflex, rectal sphincter tone, and ability to contract the anal sphincter should be performed in the presence of any neurologic symptoms. Diagnosis of overactive PFMs can be made during a musculoskeletal pelvic floor examination. Externally, minimal movement of the perineal body when patients are asked to do voluntary PFM contraction or relaxation should lead the examiner to consider a hypertonic state. On the internal assessment, attention is focused on the stiffness and length of the levator ani muscles. Patients are likely to have shortened levator ani muscles that feel weak when tested for strength. These patients often have pain in the PFMs as a result of chronic hypertonicity. Again, minimal movement of the muscles during the internal part of the examination will help to diagnose high tone or overactive PFM dysfunction.

In , 2011

Causes Of Total Incontinence

Total incontinence is when your bladder cannot store any urine at all. It can mean you either pass large amounts of urine constantly, or you pass urine occasionally with frequent leaking in between.

Total incontinence can be caused by:

• a problem with your bladder from birth
• injury to your spinal cord this can disrupt the nerve signals between your brain and your bladder
• a bladder fistula a small, tunnel like hole that can form between the bladder and a nearby area, such as the vagina

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Monitor Your Fluid Intake

Pay attention to your fluid intake throughout the day and night. You may want to keep a diary to track the total amount of fluid you drink. Make sure you include all beverages, like tea, and not just water.

Avoid drinking too much water as you get closer to nighttime, so you can get some rest instead of visiting the bathroom at night.

Symptoms Of Frequent Or Painful Urination

Frequent or painful urination can be a symptom of a variety of health conditions requiring treatment.

Symptoms of frequent urination that call for a visit to the physician as soon as possible include:

• Pain in the lower abdomen, side or groin
• Painful urination
• Blood in the urine, or red or dark brown urine. This can be a dangerous sign and should always be evaluated.
• A powerful urge to urinate
• Difficulty urinating, or trouble emptying the bladder completely
• Fever
• Discharge from the vagina or penis
• Loss of bladder control.

People should see a physician when urinary frequency increases with no obvious cause , especially if other symptoms are present.

Symptoms accompanying painful urination requiring medical attention are:

• Painful urination lasting more than one day
• Discharge from the penis or vagina
• Blood in the urine
• For pregnant women, any painful urination.

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Causes And Treatment Of Frequent Urination In Female

Consistently being on the lookout for the nearest public bathroom or company restroom when out on the job or out of the house can be a huge setback for any woman. Frequent urination is something some women might write off as a small bladder or simply a result of increased fluid intake.

However, when you take a closer look at what causes frequent urination in females, youll soon discover that this problem can be a result of more severe problems like an overactive bladder and urinary tract infection.

Luckily, there are available urinary incontinence treatments, and with the help of Dr. Andrew H. Krinsky, youll be able to get a clearer picture of your condition and the steps you may be able to take to resolve or cope with these issues.

What Exams And Tests Assess And Diagnose Frequent Urination

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and will ask you questions about your medical history and medications you may be taking.

Your doctor may ask the following questions:

• How many times in the day and night are you urinating?
• Are there changes in the color of your urine? Do you have light or dark urine?
• Do you have frequent pain, discomfort or a burning sensation while urinating?
• Have you made any recent dietary changes?
• Do you have other symptoms ?

Your doctor may order any of the following tests, depending on the findings of the physical exam and medical history.

• Urinalysis and urine culture: These tests detect and measure various components of the urine. A urine culture can detect bacteria that may be the cause of a urinary tract infection .
• Ultrasonography: This noninvasive imaging test is used to visualize your kidneys and bladder to detect any structural abnormalities or tumors.
• Cystometry: This test measures the pressure inside the bladder and checks for the possibility of muscle or nerve problems that may cause frequent urination.
• Cystoscopy: This is an invasive test that allows a doctor to look at the inside of the bladder and urethra using a thin, lighted instrument called a cystoscope.
• Neurological tests: Diagnostic tests such as urodynamics, imaging, EEG, and EMG are procedures that help the doctor confirm or rule out the presence of a nerve disorder.

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Treating Urgency With Mindfulness

So we have classes here at the University of Utah in mindfulness training specifically to help women with overactive bladder. As I said, it’s common. Five to 30 percent of women complain of this. So they have to get up once or twice at night.

Now, another important reason before I get back to the overactive bladder is I see women walking around in their yoga pants with their water bottle. And they have water bottle with them everywhere because it’s part of their drinking, drinking, drinking so that certainly can be part of it in women who are trying to watch their weight know that drinking water is good, and then they’re drinking buckets of water and they have to go.

And those women, when you ask them are when they keep a diary, actually will let you know if you have them pee in a little thing we called the hat that sits in the potty so you can measure it. They are peeing a lot because they’re drinking a lot.

Symptoms Of Urinary Urgency And Frequency

Urinary problems such as pain, urgency and frequency are common, and these symptoms typically affect both men and women. It is often labeled as dysuria, which is the medical term for painful or difficult urination. Urinary pain or burning is often related to kidney problems or infections, which can potentially lead to pelvic floor issues. Our patients are more often experiencing a feeling of urgency, frequency, inability to go or completely empty the bladder. These control, or lack of, symptoms are more closely related to the musculature of the pelvic floor versus localized pain or burning.

Urinary urgency and frequency along with other kinds of pelvic pain and discomfort can have many causes. But they can also be related to a single cause: a condition called nonrelaxing pelvic floor disorder, which is not widely recognized but starting to have further medical research and identification.

Many standard medical treatments for pelvic floor dysfunction focus on treating symptoms in isolation with medications, lifestyle changes and even surgery. But ultrasound guided trigger point injections, an innovative technique offered at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, target the source of pelvic pain and discomfort, not just the symptoms.

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Should I Drink Less Water Or Other Fluids If I Have Urinary Incontinence

No. Many people with urinary incontinence think they need to drink less to reduce how much urine leaks out. But you need fluids, especially water, for good health.

Women need 91 ounces of fluids a day from food and drinks.11 Getting enough fluids helps keep your kidneys and bladder healthy, prevents urinary tract infections, and prevents constipation, which may make urinary incontinence worse.

After age 60, people are less likely to get enough water, putting them at risk for dehydration and conditions that make urinary incontinence worse.12

What Is The Cause Of Urinary Hesitancy

Urinary hesitancy is often a result of other medical conditions, including:

• Scar tissue in the urethra. The urethra is the thin tube that allows the passage of urine from the bladder. If there is scarring in the urethra, it may be hard to urinate. Scarring can result from surgery or an injury to the region.
• Medications. Some medications, including antidepressants, may cause urinary hesitancy. These medicines can make it difficult to relieve your bladder.
• Pelvic organ prolapse. In this condition, the vagina or the uterus drops internally. The urethra becomes compressed, causing urinary hesitancy.
• Neurological disorders. Some neurological disorders, such as diabetic neuropathy, stroke, and multiple sclerosis, can cause nerve damage. In this case, the signals to empty the bladder fail to reach the brain.
• Pelvic floor dysfunction. When people are under chronic stress, they clench the muscles of their pelvic floor. This can make it difficult for them to relax these muscles when they are peeing.
• Female void dysfunction. In women, urinary hesitancy may be due to female void dysfunction. The term covers all conditions that cause poor coordination between the urethra and the bladder muscles. As a result, the muscles of the pelvic floor relax incompletely during urination. Besides urinary hesitancy, other symptoms of female voiding dysfunction include urinary urgency, dribbling of urine, and slow urine stream.

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What Causes Frequent Urination In Females

There are many different causes of frequent urination in females, but here we will highlight and describe some of the most common causes. We’ll start with some low-risk causes that are very treatable and work up to more high-risk causes for which frequent urination is a symptom of a serious disease.

When To See A Doctor For Urinary Incontinence

In most cases, UI can be treated without surgery. If left untreated, UI can lead to sleep loss, depression, anxiety and loss of interest in sex. It might be a good idea to see your doctor if your condition is causing you to:

• Frequently urinate
• Feel tired from incontinence-related sleep loss
• Feel socially anxious about your urinary incontinence
• No longer participate in activities that bring you joy
• Miss out on big moments or lose productivity

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Causes Of Painful Urination

Several kinds of infection or inflammation can cause painful urination. These include:

• Urethritis and prostatitis. These two inflammatory conditions are the most frequent causes of painful urination in men.
• Vaginal infection, such as a yeast infection. Women who have a vaginal infection may notice vaginal odor, discharge and painful urination.
• Sexually transmitted infections. STIs such as chlamydia, genital herpes and gonorrhea can cause painful urination.
• Can be caused by:
• Irritation of the urethra from sexual activity or activities like bicycling or horseback riding.
• Irritation from douches, spermicides, bubble baths, soap or toilet paper with fragrance.
• Side effects of certain medications, supplements and treatments.
• Stones in the urinary tract.
• Vaginal changes related to menopause .
• Tumor in the urinary tract.

Bladder And Bowel Dysfunction

Patients often complain of urinary urgency, frequency, hesitancy, and incontinence. Incontinence can occur in the setting of a tonically contracted bladder that is incapable of filling completely or with a denervated distended bladder that overflows. It is often not possible to determine the nature of bladder dysfunction by history. Measurement of the volume of postvoiding residual urine, either by catheterization, by ultrasound, or by urodynamic studies, is essential for distinguishing between a spastic and denervated bladder. Bladder dyssynergia, an impairment of sphincter and detrusor coordination, is also a cause of hesitancy and incomplete voiding. Patients with urinary retention are susceptible to urinary tract infections, and such infections may trigger MS relapses by stimulating the immune system.

Bowel dysfunction is common in MS and is presumably caused by spinal cord plaques. Chronic constipation can worsen spasticity. Incontinence occurs either as a consequence of sphincter dysfunction or from bowel spasticity and fecal urgency.

Stanley R. Pillemer, in, 2008

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Trigger Point Therapy Brings Relief

The doctors at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine take a different approach to treating nonrelaxing pelvic floor disorder and other dysfunctions, targeting the trigger points themselves with ultrasound guided trigger point injections to relax muscles and relieve pain. Ultrasound is a safe and noninvasive imaging technique that helps doctors target the precise location of a trigger point. Patients typically receive a series of injections to resolve all the affected points in the muscles of the pelvic floor. This treatment approach for men with urologic chronic pelvic pain has shown great promise.

Nonrelaxing pelvic floor dysfunction and other problems related to the pelvic floor can cause pain, discomfort, and embarrassment. At Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, our doctors treat the whole person, not just a symptom and well work with you to find the relief your body has been looking for.

How Is Urinary Incontinence Diagnosed

For people with urinary incontinence, it is important to consult a health care provider. In many cases, patients will then be referred to an urogynecologist or urologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary tract. Urinary incontinence is diagnosed with a complete physical examination that focuses on the urinary and nervous systems, reproductive organs, and urine samples.

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Other Symptoms To Watch Out For That Are Similar To Frequent Urination

If your frequent urination is accompanied by other symptoms, youll want to make an appointment or go to urgent care as soon as you can to get started on a treatment plan and make sure you arent experiencing a more serious condition. Some of these symptoms include:

• Painful urination
• Feeling like you still have to pee even after peeing
• Smelly or cloudy urine

Finding The Right Care

Pelvic pain is a lot more common than people think, Prechel said. In Julies case, the prolonged sitting on a bike seat led to a lot of compression on her pudendal nerve. This caused pain and muscle tightness. This can also happen to men and women who spend a lot of time in the car, or who sit at a desk for work all day.

Prechel also saw patients who were experiencing pelvic pain for other reasons, including childbirth, hip or back injuries, or abdominal surgeries. She said people often live in unnecessary pain due to the sensitive nature of the injury and the treatment.

There are several physical therapists in our system who do this type of therapy for both men and women. We all respect peoples modesty, she said.Once the issue was identified, Julie and Mary began working together on a plan to relieve her pain.

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