Urination Frequency

Question: How often is it normal to urinate?

Answer: The urine we produce allows us to get rid of toxic substances that accumulate in our body while we live and consume food.

We must urinate a minimum of one quart a day to enable the kidney to remove the toxic waste.

At the prime of our physical fitness, usually around age 30, we can store 15 to 20 ounces of urine in our bladder and postpone urination for a while when we feel the need to go.

With advancing age, for various reasons, our bladder capacity decreases and our sensation of the need to urinate becomes more urgent.

At that point in our lives, we are usually comfortable holding up to 15 ounces of urine. By the time we get to this volume we are looking to urinate to relieve our mind from the nagging of the bladder, allowing us to concentrate on our duties or pleasure.

We must drink enough water to have a healthy body and mind.

The color of our urine can tell us if we drink enough, and the color should be light yellow.

We should drink enough water to make us urinate every three to four hours.

Light yellow urine will tell us that we are in a state of good hydration and need not worry about becoming sick because of lack of fluids. Drinking an adequate quantity to void often enough will also help protect us from kidney stones and constipation.

It is not normal to urinate too often in small quantities. You should be able to gauge your water consumption toward the three to four hour schedule.

The most common reasons for too frequent urination are an enlarged prostate for men and overactive bladder for women. Both problems can be diagnosed, treated and improved.

For more information about frequency of urination you should speak with a urologist.