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Awakening at night to urinate may signal underlying medical problems in women

Mickey Daugherty, MD, left, and TImothy Byler, MD (photo by Jim Howe)

Mickey Daugherty, MD, left, and TImothy Byler, MD (photo by Jim Howe)

How many times do you awake in the middle of the night to use the bathroom? Urologists Timothy Byler, MD, and Mickey Daugherty, MD, address what's normal and what it may mean if you're waking up multiple times in the night to urinate. They conducted a study focused on women and nocturia, the medical term for excessive urination at night. They found that up to 70 percent of women get up once a night to urinate. A number of systemic diseases may cause a woman to awaken during the night, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, arthritis, high blood pressure and depression. Many women with nocturia hold off mentioning the problem to their health care provider, but Byler and Daugherty say it's important to investigate the cause of nocturia. Treatments are available.

 

 


 

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