1. Determine the Cause
Excessive urination, also known as polyuria, may be due to a wide range of underlying causes, ranging from urinary tract infections to prostatitis to general anxiety disorder. In order to determine the appropriate treatment, it is first necessary to diagnose the cause. Your health care provider will need to ask you a number of questions to determine the probable origin of your excessive need to urinate. Prepare notes before your visit with information regarding the duration of the condition, your food and beverage intake, any aggravating or relieving factors and any other symptoms you may be experiencing, such as pain or burning when you urinate. Your doctor may also want to ask you questions about your family's medical history, as some of the conditions that result in polyuria may be genetic in origin.
After your doctor has interviewed you, she may then go on to order certain types of tests. You may first undergo a fluid-deprivation test to see whether your urine volume decreases as your fluid intake goes down. You may then need to provide a urine sample for urine analysis and undergo a serum-glucose (blood sugar) test, a blood-urea nitrogen test, a study of your creatinine levels, blood and/or urine osmolality tests to determine the concentration of certain particles found in your bodily fluids, or serum electrolyte testing.
2. Treat Diabetes-Related Polyuria
The most common cause of excessive urination is diabetes, including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and diabetes insipidus. When it comes to managing diabetes-induced polyuria, it is important to monitor your glucose levels closely to keep them within the target range. If you have diabetes, you will need to keep to your doctor's recommended management plan, including moderate exercise, a healthy diet and insulin or anti-diabetic agents as prescribed.
3. Pharmaceutical Treatment
Certain types of medications can help to treat or manage polyuria. In most cases, these medications will be prescribed based on the underlying cause of your excessive urination. For example, antibiotics may be used to clear up a urinary tract infection or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be taken to treat anxiety-related polyuria. A medication called desmopressin can be particularly effective in controlling nighttime urination (nocturia), as it reduces the amount of urine you produce during sleep.
4. Behavior Therapy, Biofeedback and Acupuncture
Excessive urination that is related to anxiety or to certain types of bladder dysfunction can often be managed by nonsurgical, non-chemical methods. Bladder exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles may be effective as well as behavior modification that involves creating a voiding schedule and increasing intervals between trips to the bathroom. Acupuncture treatment may also work for you, as it has proven quite effective in treating patients with polyuria and overactive bladders. Yet another alternative treatment you may wish to consider involves biofeedback to help you become more aware of and learn to control your need to urinate.
