What Causes Frequent Urination after Drinking Water?

Kidneys are the main organs of the excretory system. They purify blood and remove waste products in the form of urine. It contains urea, uric acid, creatinine and excess water. This urine is passed to the bladder where it gets accumulated. After reaching a significant volume it is excreted out of the body.

The average person excretes 1 to 1.8 litres of urine in 24 hours.

Urination or micturition is a complex process. It involves different groups and types of muscles. It also involves an intricate network of nerves in brain and spine and in and around the bladder. The average person usually do not urinate more than 2 cups in every two hours. In case of infants and small children, the process of urination is involuntary. By the age of 3 to 5 years, the young children learn to control the urge of urination and make it voluntary.

Frequent urination means the person passes urine more times than usual. Medically, this is known as polyuria. The urge to urinate frequently is absolutely normal. But drinking too much water can be an issue on this regard as it leads to frequent urination. A study has revealed that people with the habit of urination twice at night (nocturia) have reduced risk of bladder cancer by 40% to 59%. In many cases, frequent urination is unexplained and persistent; however, at times it can be a symptom of various medical conditions including both physiological and psychological problems. In this regard, it may be of serious concern. It is important to maintain some balance between the amount of water or liquids you consume and the amount of urine you expel in order to recognize the symptoms of an underlying medical condition that could be causing frequent urination.

The common causes of frequent urination after drinking water include:

• Frequent urination is a symptom of an underlying medical condition such as diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, pregnancy, and prostate problems.
• Frequent intake of fluids such as alcohol and caffeine.
• Intake of drugs such as diuretics.
• Infection of the kidneys.
• Infection of the prostate.
• Anxiety or nervousness.
• Stroke.
• Cancer of the pelvic region.
• Overactive bladder where there are unexplained contractions of bladder.
• Bladder stone.
• Cancer of the bladder.
• Inflammation of the inner lining of the large intestine leads to diverticulitis.
• Abnormal opening in the urinary tract.
• Radiation treatment for pelvic cancer.

The normal expelled urine is yellow and transparent and is voided limited number of times in 24 hours. However, when a person has to frequently urinate, the extent of it may have an impact on the quality of life.

• It could be accompanied by symptoms such as back pain, vomiting, fever, tiredness.
• Urine may have some blood or cloudy in appearance.
• Urine analysis may reveal presence of sugar in urine, which indicates presence of diabetes. It could be accompanied by increased thirst and appetite.

When a person with increased frequency of urination shows any of the above symptoms, it is necessary to seek medical attention.

The doctor will perform physical examination and record the medical history. They will advise for the following tests:

• Urine analysis is done to determine if any abnormal compounds are present in the urine sample.
• Imaging tests such as ultrasound.
• Neurological tests to check the presence of nerve disorder.
• Urodynamic tests to involve examination of bladder and its parts.

Once the cause of frequent urination after drinking water is determined, the doctor decides the appropriate treatment. The treatment method can go as follows:

• In the case of polyuria due to diabetes, drugs are given to control sugar levels.
• In case of kidney infection, antibiotics and painkillers are advised.
• In case of overactive bladder, anticholinergics (medications) and behavioral techniques are suggested to be used only under the guidance of a physician to avoid side effects.
• In case of small stones, frequent urination is good as it helps in breaking down and expelling the stones. However, in case of bigger stones, it is removed by either medications or surgery.
• In case of cancers of pelvic region, bladder and prostate gland, surgical corrections need to be done. However, the prognosis may not be always good.

Other treatments for controlling frequent urination include:

• Change in the diet includes avoiding the intake of foods which are diuretics, contains alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods and sweeteners.
• One should control drinking water just before or during bedtime.
• Kegel exercises should be performed regularly to strengthen the muscles of pelvis and urethra and bladder. These need to be done correctly for 8 weeks.
• Biofeedback therapy to be used with Kegel exercises to improve the control of pelvis muscles.
• Bladder training to train the bladder to hold urine longer and urinate less number of times by increasing the time period in between two voidings of the bladder.

Drinking water is always good for the body to keep it hydrated. However, one should not drink more than 8 glasses of water. The excess of water is expelled by the body and one has to urinate more number of times. Even in case of certain underlying medical conditions the body urinates more frequently than usual. The exact cause has to be ascertained in order to treat the condition.