Treatments for Frequent Urination

According to MedicineNet.com, one in 11 adults experience frequent urination, an embarrassing condition caused by involuntary contractions in the bladder. Frequent urination makes it difficult for people to go to activities or events in fear a bathroom may not be available. Several treatments and therapies can reduce or eliminate frequent urination, including pelvic retraining methods, medications and in severe cases, surgery.

Pelvic Muscle Rehabilitation

• Frequent urination is treated through pelvic muscle rehabilitation, which decreases the urgency to urinate by strengthening the pelvic muscles. Strengthening the pelvic muscles also decreases accidental leakage. According to MedicineNet.com, kegel exercises, biofeedback and pelvic floor electrical stimulation are methods used in pelvic muscle rehabilitation. These methods make it easier to prolong the time between urination by teaching women and men how to control the pelvic muscles. Women can also use an additional method called vaginal weight training, where small weights are held inside the vagina to increase vaginal strength.

Diet

• Changing the diet can also reduce frequent urination. According to the Mayo Clinic, eating a fiber-rich diet decreases constipation, which is usually associated with bladder issues. Fiber regulates the digestive system, preventing constipation and underlying bladder problems.

  A doctor may also recommend avoiding caffeine drinks, which contribute to frequent urination. Overweight individuals should try to maintain a healthy weight, since excess weight makes frequent urination worse.

Make Regular Toilet Trips

• Scheduling trips to the bathroom also strengthens the bladder. To do so, urinate every two to three hours instead of when urination is urgent. This allows the bladder to adapt to a normal schedule, reducing frequent urination episodes.

Use Medications

• According to ConsumerReports.org, medications help treat serious episodes of frequent urination. Oxybutynin prevents frequent urination by relaxing the sphincter muscles, whereas tolterodine treats frequent urination, the urge to urinate and accidental leakage. Darifenacin also helps prevent frequent urination.

Medical Procedures

• Medical procedures, including botox injections and some surgeries, can correct severe urination frequency. Botox injections reduce frequent urination by paralyzing the tissues around the bladder. Sacral nerve stimulation, a type of impulse treatment, decreases urination urgency by stimulating the sacral nerves between the spinal cord and the bladder. The last type of medical treatment, augmentation cystoplasty, surgically increases the size of the bladder, allowing it to accommodate more waste. This surgery is only intended for people with severe urination urgency that does not respond to other treatments.