Frequent Urination: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

The process of eliminating urine which contains water, uric acid, urea, toxins and waste is called urination. The bladder, when filled up totally, exerts pressure and individuals feel an urge to expel the waste fluid out of the body.

Normally, people urinate approximately 5-7 times in a period of 24 hours for average consumption of 2litres of water or fluids. However, if a person keeps going to the toilet for more than 8 or 9 times, considering it is not urination inconsistency, then this can be called as frequent urination or pollakiuria in medical terms.

Pollakiuria can be caused due to several reasons. It can be caused by kidney, uterus or bladder problems or medical conditions like diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, prostate gland problems or even due to pregnancy.

Doctors will carry out a detailed study of the patient’s medical history before beginning their actual treatment. It also includes

• Physical examinations of urine samples
• The onset and duration of this disorder
• The pattern of frequent urination
• Overall water or fluid consumption
• Other symptoms of aching, itching etc
• Any ongoing medicines

Frequent urination tests:

Tests include routine and culture of urine samples, ultrasound, for a visual image of the kidneys, CT scan of the abdomen (KUB- Kidney, Uterus and Bladder), cystoscopy, neurological tests to detect any nerve disorder, and other associated examinations.

Treatment of frequent urination will depend on the underlying cause. Doctors (or particularly urologists) will address the root cause prior to beginning the treatment. Every doctor prescribes routine and culture tests of urine samples to determine the cause.

• If the disorder arises due to diabetes, then treatment will involve maintaining the blood sugar level
• For bacterial kidney infection, doctors prescribe proper antibiotics to eradicate the bacteria
• Pain killers cure frequent urination

Treatment may include drugs such as: darifenacin (Enablex), desmopressin acetate (Noctiva), imipramine (Tofranil), mirabegron (Myrbetriq), oxybutynin (Ditropan), etc. Medicines are prescribed for at least two sessions to prevent the recurrence of the disorder.

Antibiotics are used to kill bacteria like E-coli, B-coli that cause infection which results in frequent urination along with other symptoms of pain and itchiness. Otherwise, doctors may recommend a change in the life style and food habit to curb the disorder.

Bladder retaining method can also be a technique for treatment. The drug Botox can be injected into the bladder muscle which causes the bladder to relax, increases its storage capacity, and reduces episodes of leakage.

Treatment for overactive bladder includes doing pelvic exercises, such as Kegels or bladder retraining exercises, to help delay urination, diet modification and monitoring fluid intake. Also, a medication known as an anticholinergic may be used. Apart from these, in cases of severe urinal problems, surgeries are also available depending upon the severity of the disorder.

Treatment of frequent urination with prolonged medicines can cause side effects. For severe cases, when the patient is taking medicine for a very large period, the body may grow resistant to the particular drug and stop responding. Patients may feel nausea, headache, vomiting, loss of appetite, etc.

Prolonged medicines also stunt proper growth and development of the body. Short term medicines do not cause side effects if the individual is not allergic to any particular drug.

After the treatment, doctor's advice should be strictly followed including timely consumption of medicines, maintaining proper food and liquid intake, urinating as necessary etc. A retest of the physical examinations should be done post medicinal course to check upon the disorder and other related infections.Also, after completion of medicines, it is advised to recheck with the doctor to prevent further recurrence of the issue.

The duration of the treatment addresses the underlying root cause of the disorder. Depending on the cause, the time varies. For mild infections and problems, the time needed to cure this urination frequency is not much. However, for complicated situations, it may take upto eight months or even a year to get cured.

The cost required for the treatment of frequent urination is not very money consuming. It mainly includes the consultation fee, varying for different doctors but is usually around Rs.600-Rs 800. The tests prescribed may range in between Rs 1200-Rs 2000. In case of surgical assistance, the price range may increase to Rs 15000-Rs 20000.

The treatment results are usually permanent and prompt. However, in some cases, it may provide temporary relief to the patient without eradicating the cause. Frequent urinaion disorder can be triggered if personal health is not taken care of. If medicines are not taken properly or other instuctions are neglected, then pollakiuria may again reappear with more complications.

If there is no severe medical condition that needs treatment by a doctor, then urinary frequency can be reduced by home remedies. Most vital is the kegel exercise which strengthens the pelvic and urethral muscles and supports the bladder.

Regular exercises can help in toning these muscles which aids to improve bladder control and also reduce urinary urgency and frequency. Bladder can be made to retain the urine voluntarily for a slightly longer time to increase its retention capacity and reduce frequency.

It is important to keep in mind that once the urge to urinate is extreme, it should not be held back but released;otherwise it may cause other problems and infections. Monitoring fluid intake and modifying diet can also effectively control frequent urination. Also, ayurvedic treatment can be used to cure pollakiuria.