Why do we need more pit stops as we age?

Many people feel they need to urinate increasingly often as they age. Is this an isolated phenomenon, or a common observation?

While not everyone experiences this, it is in fact very common. There are various reasons why we tend to urinate more often as we get older, including medical problems like hypertension or diabetes. It may also be a symptom of a kidney or bladder infection. As we age, our kidneys may become less effective at concentrating urine when filtering the blood. As a result, more urine is being sent to the bladder, which is also not getting any younger and may be losing some storage capacity.

With the passing years, our body also produces less aldosterone, a hormone that helps us retain fluid. In women, estrogen levels also drop over time, while in men, the prostate gets bigger and makes it harder to urinate, or to do so completely; in both sexes, the result is that we need more pit stops.

While it’s normal to need to urinate more often as we age, it shouldn’t limit us in our social or everyday activities, nor should it be accompanied by any pain, fever or blood in the urine. Also, if you occasionally have “accidents,” you must ignore any embarrassment you might feel and discuss the problem with your pharmacist or physician, as there are strategies to treat incontinence and reduce its annoyances.