Nocturia

If you have to wake up twice or more each night because you have to pass urine, you have nocturia.

Nocturia itself is not a disease, it is a urinary symptom, and while it can be caused by urinary tract conditions, such as prostatic blockage, there are many other causes of nocturia. These include:

• Insomnia-many people find it hard to sleep well each night, particularly as they get older
• Sleep apnoea-a condition that affects breathing during sleep, which is common in people who snore
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Chronic pain or lung conditions that make it difficult to sleep
• Anxiety or stress
• Consuming too much fluid or fruit before going to bed
• Having your bedroom too cold or too warm overnight
• Medications which cause increased urine production-diuretics or blood pressure medication
• Reduced bladder capacity-this is a common problem for men and women as they get older

If you are experiencing nocturia, you should consider whether any of the above factors could be playing a part in your condition, and discuss it with your local doctor. In many older indiviuduals, there are often a number of contributing factors which need to be addressed.

Before seeing a urologist in relation to nocturia, it is very useful to have some basic investigations performed by your local doctor, and for you to collect some information regarding your condition:

• Blood tests- kidney function (UEC), fasting blood sugar (BSL)
• Urine test- midstream urine test (MSU)
• Urinary tract ultrasound
• Keep a written record of exactly how many times you pass urine each night, and measure the total amount of urine you pass overnight, by passing urine into a container and recording the amount in mLs. You should do this on at least 3 or 4 nights over a few weeks, and bring the information to your appointment with Dr Patel.