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I have been to the toilet four times in one day . We were laughing with some friends and a weed a bit . So i went to the toilet but nothing came out. This was the third trip .I read up on pressure and stuff on the bladder . I think its normal. It just means a have a weak bladder or something doesnt it ?
Am i normal. Because i went to the toilet four times in one day ?
x x x
What we suggest...
Hi we we, thank you for contacting q2a with your enquiry.
We understand from your enquiry that you think you may have a weak bladder and are worried about how many times you are going to the toilet on a daily basis.
In order to learn more about your current pattern of urination you may need to consider many things. For instance have you always urinated about 4 times a day or is this a change from your normal frequency? That's an important question, because if you have always gone that number of times it may be your body's normal rhythm, in which case there's likely no need to try to change or worry about your fluid intake or your bladder control to decrease the frequency.
If however there is a change you may wish to visit your doctor or possibly speak to NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. The helpline is open 24 hrs a day or you could look at their website www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.
A number of things can cause changes in frequency, including:
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's) such as cystitis
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Diabetes
- Stress
- Caffeine and alcohol intake
- Use of certain medications, such as diuretics
- Certain heart or kidney conditions
- Pregnancy
If you do decide to go to your doctor about the problem they will probably ask you a lot of questions but don't worry - they need to know your history to find out if there are any problems. Typical questions could include:
- Has the frequency of urine changed and if so roughly when?
- About how much do you urinate each time? Has the amount changed?
- Do you feel a sense of urgency to urinate?
- Do you have any trouble starting to urinate?
- Do you have any other symptoms, such as burning or pain with urination?
- Do you ever experience dribbling or incontinence (urine leaking when you don't actually intend to urinate)?
- Do you ever notice blood in your urine?
- Are you taking any medications?
These are not definitely the questions they will ask but they may ask these questions and other similar ones.
A simple urine test can also provide a doctor with a lot of important information, including screening for the presence of infection, diabetes, kidney problems and pregnancy.
If your urination pattern turns out simply to be your normal pattern, then try to relax and “go with the flow.” Continue to drink reasonable amounts of fluids - unless the weather is quite hot or you are exercising, when you should drink more, a usual amount is about 6-8 glasses a day. You'll know you're drinking enough if your urine is clear and light in colour. The normal urine output for an average adult is 800 to 2000 ml / day; this is assuming intake of around 2 litres.
You may think bladder control problems are something that happens when you get older but this is not the case.
- Many women leak urine when they exercise, laugh hard, cough or sneeze.
- Often women leak urine when they are pregnant or after they have given birth.
- Women who have stopped having their periods - menopause - often report bladder control problems.
Many women find that practicing pelvic floor exercises do help to strengthen the bladder and reduce the possibility of urine leakage from laughter, coughing etc. These exercises strengthen the pelvic floor and don't require any equipment. The trick is finding the right muscles to squeeze. Some suggest imagine holding a pencil in your vagina - don't try it literally! Then you just practice 'pulling up' from that central feeling. Try doing it say five times twice a day. Always finish on the pull up, don't let everything go! Another good way is to practice stopping weeing in mid flow. Then start again. Clearly that way you are working on the right muscles.
There are also some lifestyles changes that you could consider that can help to prevent or strengthen a weak pelvic floor or reduce its symptoms:
- Reduce the amount of caffeine and alcohol that you drink - these can irritate the bladder and make any problems worse.
- Drink plenty of fluid - three to four pints a day as we said earlier, though be careful not to drink too much as this can distend the bladder.
- Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fibre to encourage regular bowel movement - straining with constipation can weaken the pelvic floor, a full bowel puts extra strain on the muscles.
- Lose weight (if you need to) - combine your healthy diet with exercise - being overweight puts extra strain on your pelvic floor.
- Stop smoking if you do smoke - if you develop a smoker's cough this could weaken your pelvic floor.
- Avoid heavy lifting - this can put a strain on the muscles of your pelvic floor.
- If you feel anxious about the situation you could consider using a panty liner as a protection on nights out when you are expecting to have a good laugh!
So, in conclusion you are probably right - but to be on the safe side do consider the medical indications we listed at the beginning and if you think you could be affected by any of those then please do get checked out. We hope the suggestions we have made for handling and improving the situation otherwise is helpful and reassuring to you.
We hope we have answered your enquiry, please contact us again if you have any further concerns.
Best Wishes
q2a
Expert advice and every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information on this page is trustworthy and reliable, but the publishers do not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracy as information can go out of date very quickly. This page gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. With regard to suggested weblinks given in this reply please note that Lancashire County Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
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