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Causes and impact

What causes Nocturia and how does it affect your daily life?

Causes
and impact

There are many possible causes of Nocturia but the most common cause is overproduction of urine by your kidneys at night.

Whatever the cause is, Nocturia can be detrimental to your health, relationships, and wellbeing. But it doesn’t have to be. Nocturia is usually easy to treat and can be managed effectively. Talk to your healthcare professional to find out the right treatment options for you.
Nocturnal Polyuria (NP) Nocturnal Polyuria is the overproduction of urine by the kidneys at night. In almost 9 out of 10 cases, Nocturia is caused by Nocturnal Polyuria. Usually, the kidneys produce less urine at night than during the day so that you don’t need to urinate at night.

They do this by increasing water re-absorption, making your urine more concentrated, which is why urine is darker in the morning. In Nocturnal Polyuria this process is disturbed, and your kidneys produce too much urine at night, which causes Nocturia.
Lifestyle Drinking too much, especially caffeinated beverages such as tea or coffee or carbonated drinks, means your body needs to remove the excessive fluid. It does this by urination and therefore drinking too much before going to sleep can cause Nocturia.

Caffeine-rich drinks, carbonated beverages, and alcohol make you urinate even more than usual so it is best to avoid these if possible.
Overactive Bladder (OAB) When your bladder is full, it contracts and nerve signals are sent to tell your brain that you need to urinate. Sometimes these bladder muscles can contract, even when the bladder isn't full, making your brain think you need to urinate, even when you don't. This sensitivity means that you urinate more often but smaller volumes.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) The prostate is a gland that is found only in men. It sits under the bladder and surrounds the urethra. As men get older, the prostate can get larger which may cause it to press against the urethra and narrow the passage, which can lead to frequent urination both during the day and at night.
Other medical conditions Nocturia could be a sign of an underlying medical condition such as diabetes. You may need to have help to treat the underlying condition in order to manage your Nocturia. Talk to your healthcare professional to determine the cause of your Nocturia and discuss how to manage it.
Medications Some medications may cause Nocturia as a side-effect. Talk to your healthcare professional about how best to manage your Nocturia. They may suggest that you change your lifestyle to avoid carbonated and caffeine-rich beverages or they may be able to change your medication.
Impact

Recently, a study by RAND Corporation commissioned by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, evaluated the global impact of Nocturia. Their findings sugget that worldwide 90 million people suffer from Nocturia, approximately 1 in 10 of whom are under the age of 45.

This study also found that the sleep-interrupting nature of Nocturia greatly reduces daytime productivity, equal to that of other chronic conditions including: asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and gout. Cumulatively, this amounted to the equivalent of $79 billion per year lost worldwide in absence or impaired ability to work

Nocturia can be very bothersome and may interfere with:

Personal relationships

Quality of Life

Daytime productivity

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The patient perspective

Watch how Nocturia affected Sandra’s partner

See how poor sleep due to Nocturia affects
Bill’s everyday life

Reclaim your night.
Re-energise your day.

Nocturia is usually easy to treat, so if your night-time bathroom trips are affecting your day to day life, it’s time to talk to your healthcare professional. Together, you and they may be able to determine the cause of your Nocturia and decide on the best treatment option so that you can reclaim your nights and re-energise your days.

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR TO
DISCUSS YOUR SYMPTOMS
AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

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