Frequent Urination In Men

A Quick Guide to Frequent Urination in Men

There are many different physical conditions that develop with aging, and one of these is frequent urination in men. While aging is the cause in some cases, there are also treatable medical conditions which can cause frequent urination in men. If you are a guy and you are feeling like you always have to go, there can be many different causes for this situation.


Frequent urination is not a positive experience. Not only does it result in feeling uncomfortable all of the time, you have to be on the constant lookout for restrooms wherever you go. In fact, it is common for people to stop going outside and curtailing their normal activities because they are afraid of losing bladder control in a public place.

Frequent urination in men also leads to a condition known as nocturia, which means having to get up several times at night to urinate and losing sleep because of it. A normal person should be able to sleep 6 to 8 hours without getting up to urinate. People with frequent urination get up 5-8 times a night to go to the bathroom.


Let’s look at a few of the causes of frequent urination in men:

If you have an urgent need to go frequently, one of the most common causes is a urinary tract infection. This kind of infection causes inflammation of the bladder. When the bladder is inflamed it has less of a capacity to hold urine. You have to urinate more and more frequently and if you don’t seek medical treatment, you will get to the point where even holding just a small amount of urine in the bladder is a problem.

Other conditions which can cause frequent urination are diabetes, prescription medicines, diuretics, cancer of the bladder, bladder dysfunction, and therapeutic radiation. A chronic inflammation of the bladder, called interstitis cystitis, can also cause frequent urination in both men and women.

The most common cause of frequent urination in men is an enlarged prostate. The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut. Its job in the body is to secrete fluid, specifically the fluid which is needed to transport sperm. The gland surrounds the entire urethra, so when the prostate grows it puts pressure on the urethra and you have to urinate often. Eventually, if left untreated, it would get to the point where the bladder continually empties entirely.

Many times there are absolutely no symptoms at all that a prostate is enlarged. But some of the warning signs of an enlarged prostate are having a hard time starting to urinate, having a very weak stream of urine or a constant stopping and starting as you are trying to urinate. You can also feel like you are not done even though no urine remains in the bladder. You can leak urine or feel like you have to go all the time, and, of course, urinate frequently, especially at night.

When you go to the doctor, he or she will give you a physical exam, specifically looking at the pelvis, abdomen and rectum. A urine sample will be taken as that can tell if you have a urinary tract infection, diabetes, or other problems such as these. A blood test will be taken to see if the kidneys and other organs are functioning properly.

Treatment for frequent urination in men depends on the cause. Antibiotics would be needed for an infection. Diabetes or an enlarged prostate would need more long-term management solutions, and you might need medication and/or a change in nutrition and exercise habits.