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USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Peeing frequently at night? Here's what that could mean, according to health experts.
Peeing frequently at night? Here's what that could mean, according to health experts. Show Caption Hide Caption What causes urinary tract infections? A UTI is an infection of your bladder, kidneys or the tubes that connect them, typically caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract. Cover Media - Shareable It's 2 a.m., and you know the blinding light you just flickered on to use the bathroom is about to ruin your sleep. But when you've got to go, you've got to. Nocturia, known colloquially as frequent nighttime urination, is common. More than 50 million people in the U.S. suffer, according to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Library of Medicine. And roughly half of adults over the age of 65 have reported getting up at least once every night to use the bathroom. "Waking up to urinate can either be a warning sign or an actual sign of a health issue you may not be aware of or a health issue that is not being properly treated," Dr. Justin Dubin, a urologist and men's health specialist at Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida and a co-host of the Man Up podcast, tells USA TODAY. First, let's be clear about how nighttime urination is actually counted. Nocturia refers to urinating after a period of sleep, so simply heading to the bathroom after sundown doesn't count. Nocturia can be caused by a number of factors, including sleep disorders, excessive urine production, problems with bladder capacity and hormonal issues, per NIH. Sometimes, waking up to go to the bathroom is just waking up to go to the bathroom. But how do you know when it's an issue worth bringing up to a doctor? Here's what medical professionals say. Is your pee cloudy? Here's what medical experts say that could mean. How many times is it normal to urinate at night? Waking up once a night every once in a while is usually OK, Dubin says. But you should generally be able to sleep six to eight hours without having to do so. "Consistently waking up two or more times every night? That is considered abnormal," he adds. If you feel like you fit the description of nocturia, it may be worth it to take stock of how much fluid you're consuming two hours before bedtime, "especially alcohol and caffeine," which are both diuretics, meaning they make you urinate more frequently, Dubin notes. Hmm: Certain foods can cause changes in urine, but so can medical conditions. Know the signs. Why am I peeing so much? Frequent nighttime urination can sometimes be an indicator of further health issues, experts say. Sometimes it isn't; Certain medications that are classified as diuretics, such as water pills, some heart medications and lithium can be the culprit. If that's the case, you can ask your doctor if you'd benefit from taking the medication in the morning, rather than right before bed. But even if your nocturia isn't a warning sign for other health issues, the loss of sleep is likely enough reason to seek help. "It is worth bringing up to your doctor, especially if it bothers you," Dubin says. "There are a lot of possible causes for you to be waking up at night and talking to your doctor will allow them to appropriately evaluate your history, your lifestyle and your overall health to see what is causing you to wake up at night. If you have specific health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure or prostate issues, the solution to your problem is treating your health issues." Health experts will typically recommend patients try a mix of behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes and medication to relieve significant nocturia, according to the NIH. "Like anything with your health, if something feels off or bothers you, it's important you go talk with a doctor," Dubin says. "Remember, we can't help you if you don't come in to talk with us."
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Neighborhoods needing health care the most will get it under new Broward Health, Memorial Healthcare partnership
Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare announced Thursday that they will partner to expand primary care into the Broward County neighborhoods most in need. The two large health systems will use ZIP code data and heat maps from emergency department visits to their hospitals to target the construction of new primary care locations and determine where five mobile outreach vans will make weekly visits. Shane Strum, CEO of Broward Health and interim CEO of Memorial Healthcare System, said the North and South Broward Hospital Districts will spend millions to get more preventative care to neighborhoods where it is lacking and work with community partners for funds and outreach to make the effort successful. 'We have many deficiencies or gaps in coverage for maternal care and primary care,' Strum said. 'So the real goal would be to put all of that in place in any of the areas that are technically a health desert for health and wellness.' Melida Akiti, corporate transformation executive with Broward Health, will oversee this new effort, dubbed 'Better Together.' It will include measuring whether bringing primary care into targeted communities, regardless of whether residents have health insurance, decreases emergency visits to nearby hospitals. 'We will measure everything,' Akiti said. 'This is something that we know can work, but we want to make sure that the data tells us it is working.' Akiti said Broward Health's recent endeavor to get maternal care into an underserved neighborhood has been successful. The new Maternity Care Center & Heart Community Resource Center in Lauderdale Lakes has exceeded projections in its first year, drawing more than 2,000 patients. Only about 800 patients were expected from the 33311 and 33313 ZIP codes, which were identified as having limited access to crucial maternal health services. City leaders and community organizations will need to encourage residents to get preventative screenings and seek prenatal care as Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare go into the communities. 'We want to change lives,' Akiti said. 'This is not an easy task.' Akiti said the two hospital systems will work as one to deploy vans where needed, choosing a specific day each week to visit a community. 'We are not going to just pass through those areas. We're going to stay in that community for two years to be able to make changes to health,' she said. 'You only can make changes to health if you are consistent and if people trust you. And that is what we want.' From the vans, residents can access primary care and OB-GYN services. The plan also is to identify patients who come to the emergency rooms without a primary care doctor and direct them to mobile vans or new primary care clinics in their community. Akiti said she also will leverage community partnerships to address food insecurity, housing and other drivers of better health. Loreen Chant, CEO of the Health Foundation of South Florida, said her organization plans to support this partnership between the health systems to increase primary care access in Broward County. The foundation already has contributed funds to the Maternity Care Center & Heart Community Resource Center in Lauderdale Lakes 'I love what they said, that if you want a thriving community, healthy community you have to make sure you have primary care,' Chant said Thursday. 'We are here for the announcement and we are here as it rolls out.' The need for primary care is a national concern, as fewer doctors enter the field. Dr. Jennifer Goldman, a family medicine physician with Memorial Healthcare System, sees the growing need in Broward County for primary care services firsthand. She said the health systems will use their physician residents along with telehealth to make this new effort work. 'We know that when you add more primary care physicians to a community, you really do achieve increased life expectancy for that community,' Goldman said. 'We know that through national studies and so we're excited to do that collaboratively together in this county.' South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@
