Do you pee often? It could be a sign of a serious underlying health issue – Expert warns

Everyone feels the need to urinate, although everyone is different, and the experience is not consistent. Usually, most people visit the toilet around six or seven times a day, The Sun informs.

However, if you need to pee more than 10 times a day, it is worth seeing an expert about it, warns Petr Holy, a consultant urological surgeon at Men’s Health Clinic, Kingston.

“The body produces urine as a way of expelling toxins and waste and it is one of the most important functions," he explains.

“Any more than ten could be a sign that something isn’t quite right as a range of illnesses can cause us to pee more often than usual," he adds.

Some of these illnesses include the following:

Diabetes

"When there’s too much sugar in the blood, our kidneys are forced to work even harder to filter and absorb the glucose and excrete it as urine," Holy explains.

For someone who consumes plenty of sugar combined with the need to pee a lot, it could be a warning sign of type 2 diabetes.

"The presence of the glucose may also create a sweet smell in the urine," adds Holy.

Stroke

A stroke occurs when an oxygen-carrying blood vessel to the brain is blocked or bursts, thereby creating problems with the central nervous system.

"Nerves linked to the bladder can be affected and as a result, we might need to pee more often or lose the ability to hold it in our bladders," said Holy.

Enlarged prostate

The prostate is a gland that is found near a man’s bladder. With age, most men experience an enlarged prostate. It is mostly seen in men above the age of 50.

"This can place extra pressure on the bladder and the urethra and cause an increased frequency of urination as well as greater difficulty in passing urine," he reportedly said.

The urethra is the tube that empties urine from the bladder.

Bladder cancer

You should be aware of bladder cancer if you need to pee more often than usual and feel pain while doing so. With bladder cancer, you may also experience a feeling of wanting to urinate even if your bladder is not full.

"The bladder is a vital part of the urination process and a tumour in it can affect how we pee," Holy said.

Sexually transmitted infections

You may experience an increased need to pee due to sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) like chlamydia or gonorrhea – the most diagnosed STIs in the UK. Both diseases are linked to increased urination.

"STIs might also create a burning sensation when we pee, make the urine more cloudy in appearance, or create a strong smell," Holy explained.

Urinary tract infections

Frequent urination could also be due to urinary tract infections (UTIs). These infections usually occur when bacteria enter the urethra and produce inflammation.

"This can lead to more frequent urination as well as a burning sensation or even the appearance of blood in the urine," adds the urologist.

Pregnancy

As the baby grows, there is more pressure on the mother’s bladder and this causes the need to urinate often.

However, wanting to pee more can also be experienced in the very early stages of pregnancy and even before a woman knows that she is pregnant.

"This is caused by an increase of the hormones progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin," Holy said.

Excess caffeine consumption

Everyone loves drinking coffee and tea, especially in the UK but when you drink too many cups of these beverages, you may be inviting urinary troubles.

"Caffeine acts as a diuretic and leads to an increase in the excretion of water through urine," Holy explains.