Many people don’t realize that frequent urination and dehydration are related, but when you pee frequently, it can be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough water to stay hydrated. You may think you’re dehydrated, but there are other causes of frequent urination that should be ruled out first before you take to the water bottle or Gatorade.
This happens when your body doesn’t have enough water to function properly and maintain normal organ function; dehydration can cause many symptoms that make everyday life difficult, such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. See what causes frequent urination and how to prevent it!
If frequent urination continues, this could be a sign of something more serious, like a urinary tract infection or type 2 diabetes. In some cases, dehydration can even cause more severe complications, so it’s important to know how to spot the signs of dehydration and hydrate yourself properly.
Read on to learn more about hydration and why your urine color can tell about your state of hydration!
How Many Times a Day Should a Person Pee?
The Mayo Clinic says that adults should pee when they feel the urge, and most healthy people pee about six to eight times per day.
But that’s not set in stone. People with diabetes have to pay close attention to their urine output; let your doctor know if their output is much higher than normal. Finally, if you notice more frequent urination at night — or other unusual occurrences — talk to your doctor, who can help determine what’s going on.
Why Can Frequent Urination Be a Sign of Dehydration?
If your urine is highly concentrated, it can indicate that you’re not drinking enough water because highly concentrated urine has salts and chemicals that irritate your bladder and cause it to contract more frequently than usual. This results in frequent urination.
However, frequent urination can also mean that you are drinking too much: Drinking too much water or other fluids dilutes your urine so much that it becomes less concentrated and thus takes longer for your body to expel. This can increase trips to the bathroom, even if you aren’t necessarily losing any fluid.
The rule of thumb for proper hydration: 10-12  glasses per day. That’s right—10-12 glasses. By keeping an eye on your urine color and frequency, you can determine whether or not you need to drink more water to stay properly hydrated.
Factors That Affect the Urinary Frequency
- Age
- Gender
- Certain medications
- Hormonal changes
- Hydration levels
- Urinary tract infections
- Diabetes (Mellitus)
- Diabetes Insipidus
- Bladder syndrome
- Prostate enlargement
- Stroke
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Too much alcohol or caffeine
- Vaginal infections
- Weak pelvis
- Bladder or urinary tract cancer
- Kidney Stones
- Other kidney diseases
- Neurological disorders
- Interstitial cystitis
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Constipation
- Sleep apnea
- Upset stomach
- Hypercalcemia
Other factors that can affect urinary frequency include. How much water we drink, how hydrated we are, and how much we exercise can all affect how often we pee. Also, where we live (for example, people who live in cold climates have to go more often because the body filters more blood than normal to supply to vital organs), our lifestyle (if our jobs involve more desk time than physical activity, for example), illnesses, medications (including blood pressure drugs) and even stress affect our urination.
Also check:
- Urinary Incontinence: Accidental Urinary Leaks
- What Is Your Urine Telling You About Your Health?
- Yoga For Urinary System Disorders/ UTIs
Causes of Dehydration
Water makes up about 60% of our body, and it’s needed for almost every function in our bodies. Dehydration simply means having too little water in your body. If we don’t consume enough liquids, or if we sweat excessively, our bodies can become dangerously dehydrated.
When that happens, there isn’t enough water to do all of its jobs properly—it can cause us to feel tired and weak; headaches are common. It also causes urine to become more concentrated, which means that our kidneys have to work harder to filter out waste products from the blood.
This leads to an increased amount of urine being produced by our kidneys. So, if you’re feeling thirsty and drinking lots of fluids doesn’t seem to help, chances are you need to go see a doctor: dehydration can lead to serious health problems over time.
What Changes Can Be Seen If You Are Dehydrated?
If your urine looks dark yellow or very clear, that is a sign of dehydration. Your urine should be more concentrated to stay healthy, so if it seems like you’re always peeing, then there is likely some sort of issue with your hydration level.
Also, remember that even if your urine doesn’t appear dark, dehydration still may affect how often and how much you are urinating.
Why Does Urine Gets Dark When You Are Dehydrated?
When we are well hydrated, our urine is clear. As we become more and more dehydrated, it takes on an increasingly dark yellow or amber color until it is almost brown when we are severely dehydrated.
Urochrome is a pigment that helps your body maintain fluid balance in your bloodstream by acting as a natural diuretic (it makes you pee). The darker your urine gets, the more concentrated it becomes with urochrome (and other substances) which gives urine its normal color.
If you’re not drinking enough water, your kidneys will try to save as much water as they can Thus, they try t0 produce less urine to prevent further loss by making it more concentrated (darker in color) with urochrome.
When there is enough water in your system, urochrome leaves your body through urine, so if you are drinking well, then only a little of that pigment will remain from it. This can result in very pale yellow or clear urine.
Blood Tests
Routine blood test can check for kidney function, electrolytes, and blood sugars:
Urinalysis
Urine microscopic examination that includes a number of procedures to detect and evaluate various substances that flow through the urine.
Cystometry
Cystometry is a test used to detect abnormalities with the bladder's process of filling and emptying.
Urodynamics
Urodynamics is a group of tests used to assess lower urinary tract function. The term "urodynamics" refers to a continuous activity while the term "uro" refers to urine.
Tips to Prevent Dehydration
Staying hydrated is essential for good health.
- It’s important to drink enough water, especially in warm weather or exercising.
- One way to ensure that you’re getting enough fluids is to check your urine color.
- If it appears very dark yellow or brownish, you are likely not drinking enough water.
- Be sure to drink plenty of water and other non-caffeinated beverages throughout the day. This will help prevent dehydration and keep you feeling great!
Conclusion
Dehydration can have many symptoms, and they’re pretty easy to miss. The best way to spot dehydration is by paying attention to your urine: The color and texture of your urine are good indicators of your hydration levels; when urine is dark yellow or brown and looks thick or pasty, then it’s probably time for a rehydrating beverage.
