Frequent Urination: Why Do You Experience it When You’re Sick?

Do you pee more when you’re sick? It’s a common question that many of us have pondered while battling a cold or flu. Frequent urination when sick can be puzzling. However, understanding the underlying reasons behind it can provide clarity and help manage this uncomfortable symptom.

What is frequent urination?

Frequent urination means you have to pee more often than usual. There’s no exact number of times you should go, but if you find yourself going more than eight times a day, it might be considered frequent. This can change depending on how much you drink, how big your bladder is, and how healthy you are. 

It’s a common sign of different health issues like urinary tract infections (UTIs), diabetes, pregnancy, or having an overactive bladder. To figure out if you have frequent urination when you’re sick, keep track of how often you go and if it bothers you during your day.

Why do you tend to pee more when you’re sick?

When you’re sick, especially with a cold or flu, a few things can make you pee more: 

• Drinking fluids: When you’re not feeling well, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids to help your body fight off the illness. But drinking more fluids, like water, tea, or soup, can make you pee more often because your body needs to get rid of the extra liquids and toxins.
• Medicine side effects: Some over-the-counter medicines you might take for cold or flu symptoms, like decongestants or antihistamines, can have the side effect of making you pee more. These medicines help clear up stuffy noses and dry up mucus, but they can also make your kidneys produce more urine.
• Infection and swelling: Illnesses like the flu can cause inflammation and infection in your body, even in your urinary tract. This can irritate your bladder, leading to a frequent urge to urinate. Also, when your body is fighting off an infection, it may make more urine to help flush out germs and toxins.

What can you do to treat this illness?

To handle peeing a lot when you’re sick, here are some things you can do: 

• Drink enough water: Even though it might feel weird to drink more when you’re already peeing a lot, staying hydrated is super important. Water helps flush out bad stuff from your body and helps you get better. But don’t drink too much water all at once, or it might make you pee even more. Simply ensure you drink adequate fluids to stay hydrated without overfilling your bladder.
• Watch your medicine: Pay attention to any medications you’re taking for your cold or flu. Some of them, like decongestants or antihistamines, can make you pee more. If you observe this occurring, discuss alternative options or adjustments to your dosage with your doctor.
• Rest up: Let your body rest and recover from being sick. Resting can lessen the frequency of urination. Avoid doing too much and give your body the time it needs to fight off the infection.

When should I see a doctor?

When you’re sick and you pee a lot, it might not be a big deal, but sometimes it could mean something more serious. Here’s what you should look out for:

• If it keeps happening: Even after resting and drinking water, if you’re still peeing a lot, it’s a good idea to see a doctor. It might mean you have an infection or another health issue.
• Painful peeing: If it hurts when you pee, like burning or urgency, it could mean you have a urinary tract infection or something else. A doctor can assist you in finding out what’s happening.
• Seeing blood: Discovering blood in your urine is a serious matter and requires immediate medical attention. It could be from different things, like a urinary tract infection or even bladder cancer.
• Fever or chills: Having a fever and peeing a lot could mean you have a bigger infection that needs treatment. Seeing a doctor can help you find out what’s going on.
• Weird symptoms: Feeling tired all the time, losing weight without trying, having belly pain, or noticing changes in how often you pee can be signs of something else. It’s best to talk to a doctor to get checked out.

If you’re not sure if you need to see a doctor, it’s better to play it safe and talk to one anyway. They can check your symptoms and tell you what to do next.

Can you prevent peeing more when you’re sick?

Even though you might not stop peeing more when you’re sick, there are things you can do to make it less bothersome.

• Limit caffeine and alcohol: Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol can make you pee less. Instead, go for drinks like water, herbal teas, or electrolyte-rich beverages to help your body get better.
• Practice good hygiene. Proper hygiene, including washing your hands regularly and avoiding contact with sick individuals, can help prevent the spread of illness and reduce your risk of developing infections that may contribute to frequent urination. Remember to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze to stop spreading viruses.

What are the other causes of frequent urination?

In addition to illness, several other factors can contribute to frequent urination: 

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Bacterial infections of the urinary tract can cause symptoms such as frequent urination, burning with urination, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine. UTIs are common and often require antibiotic treatment to resolve.
• Diabetes: High levels of sugar in the blood from both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can make you pee more. When there’s too much sugar, your kidneys can’t keep up, so you end up making more urine.
• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, hormonal shifts and the enlarging uterus can press on the bladder, causing you to pee more often, especially in the later months. This is a natural body response to make room for the growing baby and typically goes away after giving birth.

Know how to deal with frequent urination when sick

When you pee a lot when you’re sick, it can feel uncomfortable. But knowing why it happens and what you can do about it can make it easier to deal with. Make sure to drink enough water, watch out for any side effects from your medications, and give your body the rest it needs to heal. If your symptoms are severe or won’t go away, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. Peeing more when you’re sick is pretty normal, and there are things you can do to feel better.