Recently, Mr. Li has been worried about his sleep. The reason is that he suddenly started to get up frequently at night: at first he got up once or twice every night, but later he got up three or four times in one night, which greatly affected the quality of his sleep and even his work efficiency the next day.
"You get up every night to go to the toilet, maybe your kidneys are not bad..." Listening to his wife's guess, Lao Li also felt that it made sense, and suddenly began to worry.
Is the excessive nocturia in winter really due to poor kidneys?
In fact, it is not necessarily certain. Medically, nocturia is divided into physiological nocturia and pathological nocturia.
The first is an increase in physiological nocturia: as the name suggests , it is an increase in the number of urination caused by a series of living habits or environmental changes. For example, suddenly drank a lot of water before going to bed, or did not cover himself with a quilt when sleeping at night, body surface temperature dropped, causing the urge to urinate, etc. These are relatively normal. Under normal circumstances, an increase in nocturia in a short period of time is mostly due to physiological increase in nocturia.
is similar to Lao Li's situation, except that he has become more nocturnal in recent times, and combined with the recent cold weather, it is very likely that Lao Li just caught a cold at night, resulting in an increase in the frequency of urination. However, it is still recommended to go to the hospital for a check-up.
In addition, it may be "pathological nocturia":
The kidneys have a certain concentration function. Healthy kidneys will gradually concentrate the urine to form standard and pure urine, which is then sent to the bladder for storage. However, if there are certain hidden dangers in the kidneys, resulting in a reduction in the efficiency of the concentration function, a decrease in urine quality but an increase in "quantity", and a decrease in the brain's ability to control urination at night, an increase in nocturia may occur.
For example, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, diabetes complicated with kidney disease, people with renal insufficiency, etc. may all have a similar situation of increased nocturia.
But in addition, there may be other hidden dangers of diseases: such as bladder disease, urinary system disease and so on. Therefore, excessive nocturia in winter does not necessarily mean that the kidneys are not good. It may be a physiological increase in nocturia. Even if it is a pathological increase in nocturia, you should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible to understand the specific disease before treatment.
So, how to distinguish whether you have "pathological nocturia"?
First of all, judge based on the feeling when urinating:
Under normal circumstances, ordinary people do not have abnormal feelings when urinating. However, if there is a hidden disease in the urinary system or bladder, abnormal sensations such as itching, pain, and obstruction during urination may occur. If found, it is recommended to go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.
It can be judged based on the amount of urine produced:
If nocturia is increased due to kidney disease, the quality of urine will decrease, and the total number of urinated urine will also increase. Clinical data shows that each kilogram of body weight corresponds to approximately 10ml of urine output. If the urine output is excessive, it is also necessary to suspect the possibility of pathological nocturia.
Finally, can be judged based on whether the urine is abnormal:
Normal people's urine is mostly clear and yellowish. However, if there is a disease in the body, the color of the urine may also change. Depending on the color of urine, you can also specifically determine what hidden diseases there may be.
If these three abnormal colors appear in nocturnal urine, go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.
The first type: Red nocturia
Nocturnal urine appears red, which mostly indicates that there may be blood in the urine. If the red color is lighter, it is mostly a symptom of inflammation or bleeding in the urinary system; if the color is darker, it may be inflammation or bleeding of the kidneys or bladder.
The second type: Nocturnal urine appears green
Green urine is relatively rare. Once it occurs, it is mostly caused by drug side effects and toxicity, such as amitriptyline , isopropyl , indomethacin and other drugs. If the body has symptoms of drug discomfort or nephrotoxicity, it will also cause the urine to turn green. Seek help from a doctor in time.
At the same time, for example, liver or pancreatic diseases induce bilirubin accumulation, and there may also be green symptoms that make you stay up late. Pay attention and be vigilant.
The third type : White foam appears on the surface of urine
When some people urinate, they will find a large amount of white foam suspended on the surface of the urine, but it has not subsided. This is due to the high protein content in urine, which increases the surface tension of urine. Therefore, foamy urine is also called "proteinuria".
If proteinuria occurs in a short period of time, it may be caused by emotional stress, overwork and other physiological conditions. However, if proteinuria exists for a long time, it may also be related to symptoms of nephritis , diabetes and other diseases. It is also recommended that friends with similar situations undergo regular check-ups to prevent possible early-stage diseases.
In short, urine can be regarded as a "barometer" of health. In winter, the number of people with increased nocturia is generally increasing. You might as well take this opportunity to self-examine whether there are any health risks in your body. By promptly checking for potential diseases and laying a solid foundation for good health, your future quality of life will be better.
Reference:
[1] Zheng Jiayun. Causes of frequent nocturia and increased nocturia in the elderly [J]. Self-care, 2017(8):1.
[2] Wang Ailing. Causes and prevention of increased nocturia in the elderly in the community[J]. Baotou Medicine, 2010, 34(3):2.
