What Could be Causing Nighttime Urination (Nocturia)?

What Causes Nighttime Urination (Nocturia)?

Nighttime urination can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose nighttime urination, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "nighttime urination" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Congestive Heart Failure
Sleep Apnea
Prostate Enlargement
Interstitial Cystitis
Diabetes II
Kidney Disease
Urinary Tract Infection
Prostate Cancer

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

taking naps

fatigue after slight exertion

long menstrual cycles

omnivorous diet

very weak urine stream

having lost many adult teeth

often/always feeling unusually cold

sleeping more than necessary

frequent bizarre dreams

shortness of breath when at rest

major unexplained weight gain

occasional rapid, shallow breathing

... and more than 80 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of nighttime urination:

Cause	Probability	Status
Prostate Enlargement	93%	Confirm
Sleep Apnea	21%	Unlikely
Congestive Heart Failure	20%	Unlikely
Diabetes II	2%	Ruled out
Urinary Tract Infection	2%	Ruled out
Kidney Disease	1%	Ruled out
Prostate Cancer	0%	Ruled out
Interstitial Cystitis	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Urinary Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about nighttime urination (nocturia):

Nighttime urination. On average, about how many times do you get up to urinate during your sleeping hours?

Possible responses:

→ Rarely / only if I drink too much / don't know
→ Once
→ Twice
→ Three times
→ Four or more times

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate little or no nighttime urination, nighttime urination or frequent nighttime urination, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Interstitial Cystitis

Kidney Disease

Changes in the frequency of urination, especially at night, may indicate kidney disease.

Congestive Heart Failure

Edema fluid that collects in tissues during the day due to heart failure can result in increased night time urination.

Diabetes Type II

Enlarged Prostate

Fibroids

Fibroids can lead to increased urinary frequency and urgency.

Hyperparathyroidism

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)