Is it normal to pee every hour?

Every second, Americans ask the internet whether their health is “normal.”

The problem is that the answers they get can be terribly misleading. And that can be dangerous.

For example, if you search, “Is it normal to pee every hour?”, you could come away thinking you have diabetes when you really don’t. Or you could conclude it’s nothing at all when really you need medication to treat an infection. Don’t do this to yourself.

The core issue is that the internet doesn’t know you—your medical history, your family history or your lifestyle. But there’s good news: Your doctor does. So the American Medical Association (AMA) encourages you to talk to your doctor before acting on health information you find online.

Many potential causes

Most people urinate six to eight times per day, but peeing as few as four times or as many as 10 times are still considered normal. Peeing more frequently than that—known as frequent urination—may indicate a problem with part of your urinary tract.

Frequent urination often indicates a bladder or urinary tract problem. For example, your bladder may be inflamed or irritated, or it might not be emptying all the way.

Frequent urination has dozens of possible causes, including: 

• Diabetes.
• Enlarged prostate.
• Medications
• Overactive bladder.
• Pregnancy.
• Urinary tract infections.

With so many potential causes, it’s impossible to know whether frequent urination will go away on its own. It is important to know what is typical for you. For instance, if you are drinking lots of fluids or taking certain medications, frequent urination might still be normal.

Doctors are the top experts

Many causes of frequent urination are not serious, but some, if not treated, may cause life-threatening complications, which can include dehydration and infections that spread to other parts of your body. So don’t ignore frequent urination, but also don’t try to diagnose it on your own. Ask your doctor.

Also, when you do see your doctor, don’t hold back. Mention any other symptoms you have, even if they might seem to have nothing to do with your need to urinate frequently. For example, is your urine red or dark brown? Mention it. Do you have pain in your side, belly or groin? Mention it. Have you had a fever? Mention that too.

The bottom line: It’s OK to ask health questions online, but for a diagnosis and treatment, see your doctor. Physicians are trusted sources of evidence-based health and wellness information.

The web has millions of answers. Your doctor has yours.