Urination - excessive volume

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Female urinary tract

Male urinary tract

Overview

Treatment

Urination - excessive volume

Definition:

Polyuria is the release of abnormally large amounts (for an adult, at least 2.5 liters per day) of urine.

Alternative Names:

Polyuria

Considerations:

This is a fairly common symptom which is often noticed when it occurs at night.

Common Causes:

Too much fluid intake, particularly fluids containing caffeine or alcohol
Too much salt or glucose (if diabetic)
Drug use, especially diuretics
Diabetes (both diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus)
Psychogenic polydipsia, most common in women over age 30
Renal failure
Sickle cell anemia
Radiographic tests that use a contrast media
- Urine volume will increase for up to 24 hours following the dose

Review Date: 4/22/2004
Reviewed By: Jessica Small, M.D., Department of Family Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.