Frequent Urination in Women

Also known as an 'overactive bladder', frequent urination in women is caused by various reasons, like hormonal changes. Frequent urination is the urge to urinate more than usual. It may or may not accompany an increase in the amount of urine released. Pain or burning sensation may also be experienced by the affected person. The causes for frequent urination in women may vary with the symptoms. In some cases, the condition may be temporary, but, if you are experiencing this condition for a long time, you have to seek medical attention to find out the exact cause and take treatment.

Causes of Frequent Urination in Women

Even though frequent urination is a problem, commonly faced by women, it does not mean than men are immune to this. So some of the causes for frequent urination are common for both genders. However, women are more inclined to suffer from this condition and this is due to their body constitution and comparatively higher rate of hormonal changes. Let us go through the various causes for frequent urination in women.

• Hormonal changes are one of the common causes for frequent urination in women. Variations in hormone levels during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause causes frequent urination.
• Another cause is multiple pregnancy, which may cause reduced bladder support too. This is caused by the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles and bladder muscles, which results in the inability to hold and release urine properly.
• Urinary tract infection (again more common in women) is another reason for frequent urination in women. In such cases, the affected person may also experience pain while urinating and the urine is cloudy and foul-smelling. Sometimes, it may also contain blood.
• Frequent urination in women may also be caused by many other health conditions, like diabetes, kidney stones, chronic kidney disease, etc. Tumors on the bladder, ovaries or uterus may also compress the bladder, which gives rise to a frequent urge to urinate.
• Inflammation of the bladder (interstitial cystitis) is also a common problem in women, which can cause frequent urination. Other diseases, like bladder carcinoma, nephritis, kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, etc., may also cause frequent urination in women.
• Other common causes are aging, intake of large amounts of fluids, stress, use of medications (like diuretics), radiation therapy, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), stroke, small bladder, STDs, etc. It can also be a condition called 'nocturia', which denotes frequent urination at night.

If frequent urination in women is not associated with an increase in the amount of urine, then the cause can be urinary tract infection, STDs, pregnancy, menopause, etc. If the affected person is also experiencing an increase in the amount of urine, then the cause can be diabetes, diuretics, heart or kidney diseases, etc. Read more on kidney failure, kidney stones and kidney diseases.

Frequent urination in women is normal in certain conditions, like pregnancy, but if you have no such reasons or you are experiencing additional symptoms, like pain or blood in urine, then medical attention is advisable. If the condition is constant or recurrent, then you have to consult a doctor to find out the underlying cause and treat the condition.