Get Up To Pee In The Night? From Cancer To Heart Disease, Doc Warns It’s NOT Just Old Age
Many believe needing to wee more frequently at night is a sign of growing older, but it could actually be more serious
DO you ever wake up in the middle of the night desperate for the toilet?
Many put it down to a sign of growing older, but experts warn it could actually be something more serious.
One in three adults over the age of 30 get up during the night to pee, with that increasing to two in three adults over the age of 65.
Professor of urology Philip Van Kerrebroeck, warns that it could be a condition known as nocturia.
What is nocturia?
Nocturia sufferers will often have to use the loo more than once in the night.
Prof Kerrebroeck, editor of the nocturia research centre, said: “People think that getting up in the night to go to the toilet is just part of getting older, but it doesn’t need to be.
“Poor sleep can seriously damage your health so people who are getting up several times a night should go to their doctor to see what’s causing it.
People think that getting up in the night to go to the toilet is just part of getting older, but it doesn’t need to be
Philip Van Kerrebroeck
“The good news is that nocturia can be treated so you don’t need to suffer in silence.”
That’s not only irritating but can be disruptive to sleep.
A broken night’s sleep has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, weakened immune systems, heart disease and even some cancers.
It can also cause mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and psychosis.
Prof Kerrebroeck said lack of sleep can impact all forms of mental functioning, making it much harder to concentrate, remember things and pick up new skills or facts.
What about polyuria?
Nocturia can be caused by an overproduction of urine, which can be a symptom for more serious conditions.
Excessive urination, called polyuria, is when you wee more than 2.5 litres per day.
This can happen because you are drinking excessive amounts of fluid, or it could be a symptom of something far more serious – type 2 diabetes.
The good news is that nocturia can be treated so you don’t need to suffer in silence
Philip Van Kerrebroeck
It can also be a sign of a bladder infection, kidney stones, kidney failure and an enlarged prostate in men.
A person who has type 2 diabetes has too much sugar in their blood.
The kidneys react to that by flushing it out of the blood and into the urine, which results in the need to pee more often.
Similarly, if you have problems with your kidneys, such as stones, then you will wee more frequently and the problem can change the way the kidneys operate.
If you often wee more than you think is normal and start to suffer back pain, weight loss, night sweats, leg weakness or fever you should see your GP.
Waking up in the middle of the night is not only disruptive to sleep but has been has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, weakened immune systems, heart disease and even some cancers
