Causes and risk factors
Polyuria can be caused due to a variety of causes. Excessive intake of fluids like water or drinks containing caffeine and alcohol is the main contributing factor. Polyuria is a main feature of diabetes mellitus. Diseases of the kidney like polycystic kidney diseases, diabetes insipidus, pyelonephritis, and amylodosisamyloidosis are the major contributing factors. Systemic conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome, sickle cell anemia, and myeloma also adds up to the causation. Excessive passage of urine can occur as a side effect of a variety of medications like antibiotics and mood stabilizers. Certain other causes of polyuria are liver failure, chronic diarrhea, pregnancy, hypercalaemia and Cushing’s syndrome. Certain psychological causes, stress can also cause polyuria (psychogenic polydipsia).
Clinical presentation:
Excessive passage of urine is the main feature seen. The patient complaints of increased frequency of passage of urine. The patient has to wake up at night to pass urine. In the cases of children, nocturnal enuresis is seen. A few patients can also complain of increased intake of water too. Frequent waking at night can lead to disturbed sleep too. Along with this, the patient can also present with certain other complaints too, the most common ones are being weakness, malaise, pain and in head, and weight loss. Dehydration can also occur.
Investigations:
Diagnosis is done on the basis of the symptoms narrated by the patient and the physical examination carried out by the doctor. Investigations like urinalysis and urine osmolality are done. Certain other investigations like blood sugar levels, x-ray of kidney, ultrasonography etc., are advised. Certain other investigations as per the presenting complaints can also be advised.
Treatment:
As polyuria is a symptom of an underlying cause. , treating the underlying cause is the main line of treatment. Appropriate medications or surgical intervention is done. In severe cases where dehydration is seen, the patient needs to be hospitalized.
When to contact a doctor:
Seek advice from and a doctor if one passes excessive urine several times a day.
System Involved: Urinary system, endocrine system, metabolic system
Organ involved: kidney, bladder, urethra, bladder, nerves, and muscles,
