Polyuria or why do I
have to urinate so often?

Polyuria is a medical condition whereby a person is urinating much more frequently than is deemed normal. In an adult, urinating 2.5 liters or more in a period of 24 hours constitutes excessive urination.

Polyuria is a common symptom and early indicator that a person may suffer from diabetes. Excessive urination is often found in conjunction with excessive thirst (known as polydipsia).

This is also a condition that is often seen in those who have been diagnosed with diabetes but are not taking the right dosage of medication or who have not been prescribed the proper dosage by their doctor.

Polyuria (excessive urination) and polydipsia (excessive thirst) do not necessarily go hand in hand with diabetes but they often do. Increased thirst comes about because a person’s blood sugar levels are much higher than they should be. This causes the individual to feel incredibly thirsty. He or she then drinks as much as possible in order to feel better.

When there is a tremendous amount of blood sugar in the body and a person is drinking a great deal this means that the kidneys need to work overtime to keep up. This can put a great deal of stress on the kidneys which are bodily organs that are kept busy most of the time any way.

The kidneys then work as fast as they can to excrete the excess urine. The process then repeats itself over and over again until medical attention is sought and treatment is started. This is not a condition that should be ignored or overlooked, especially if it involves the two conditions taking place at the same time and/or the conditions not being a temporary circumstance.

Causes of Polyuria

-Kidney failure
-Sickle cell anemia
-Psychogenic polydipsia (this is most often seen in females over the age of 30)
-Certain types of medications (such as diuretics)
-Consuming a great deal of fluids in a short period of time (and in particular drinking alcohol or drinks that contain caffeine such as coffee, tea or soda)

If you experience excessive urination over a period of a number of days and it has no obvious explanation (such as consuming more fluids than usual or taking medication) then book an appointment to see your doctor right away.

The doctor will ask you a series of questions such as – When did you first notice the problem? Is your urine light or dark in color? Is there any blood in it? Have you been drinking more fluids than usual? Have you been excessively thirsty? What medications (if any) are you currently taking? Is there a family history of diabetes or kidney disease?

The doctor may decide to send you for further tests if he or she is unsure as to the cause of the excessive urination. The tests that may be conducted include urinalysis, blood urea nitrogen test, creatinine studies and a serum glucose (sugar) test.

Other Symptom pages of interest