Is it normal to urinate frequently?
Chairman
Division of Urology and Renal Transplantation
Medanta Kidney and Urology Institute
Medanta, the Medicity
Q: I am 39 years old. First thing after I wake up in morning I drink 1 litre of water on empty stomach at 8:00 am. After half and hour I take my breakfast with an apple or two chapatti with egg white. Till the time of lunch I drink about 350 ml of water and two cups of tea without milk and sugar and one cup of green tea with half teaspoon sugar (quantity around 300 ml each cup). Before taking my lunch at about 2:30 pm, I pass urine at least four times. I take my lunch and go to sleep for one hour. After waking up at 5:00 pm, I pass urine. After that I have to urinate at 7:30, 9:00 and 10:00 pm (in this time period I drink at least 700 ml of water and two cups of tea without milk and sugar). I have my dinner between 10 and 10:30 pm, and I drink only one glass of water, but I urinate once or twice in the night. Is it normal or should I seek medical help?
A:Not only the water, but all liquids including tea and drinks provide water content to the body. All solids have water content, too. Body needs water to get rid of wastes in form of urine (minimum of 750 ml) and some insensible losses like water vapours lost with breathing and perspiration (approximately 300 ml). A total of one litre of fluid, thus, is sufficient for these needs. Any excess of fluids would have to be thrown out of body in form of additional urine. You drink 5 litres, and the computer of your body would make 4.7 litres of urine. With that urine output you will have to make approximately 15 visits to toilet in 24 hours, with each urine void being approximately 300 ml (your bladder capacity). I think it should be enough to impress upon you that your details fit to a perfectly normal man, but consuming excessive fluids.