For the past month, I had been waking up at least twice each night to use the bathroom. It was frustrating and overwhelming. What had suddenly happened that made my urination frequent during the night? Is there something I have been eating lately? Or is it stress right now? All these questions made me curious and I felt it was time for me to get some answers.

One morning, I called the LeanCare Health Facility and made an appointment. The nurse greeted me warmly and asked “Have you noticed other changes?”. Although I mentioned being slightly more tired than usual because of interrupted sleep, my doctor stated that it wasn’t normal. After doing some preliminary tests, my doctor recommended a blood sugar test for me. To my surprise, they were higher than they should be. Could high blood sugar be causing my nocturnal trips to the bathroom? She explained how elevated blood sugar levels lead to increased nighttime urination among people with diabetes. With her guidance we arranged how we can control blood sugar levels through dieting, exercising and drug administration. My exit from the premises carried with it relief as well as anticipation of better days ahead.

Frequent urination at night.

Frequent urination can indeed occur due to high blood sugar, which is related to diabetes also known as diabetes. When high glucose levels are present within a person’s bloodstream, their kidneys work harder to filter this glucose into their urine, which results in frequent micturition.

How does this happen?

• Diabetes and High Blood Sugar: A disease that affects the production or sensitivity of insulin is called diabetes mellitus. Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the body has insufficient insulin secretion while type 2 Diabetes arises due to reduced insulin resistance. Insulin helps bring glucose (sugar) into cells to produce energy. When there is too much sugar in the blood, it becomes difficult for the kidneys.
• Kidneys and Glucose Reabsorption: The kidneys have critical functions in glucose homeostasis. They help in reabsorbing sugar into the bloodstream. On the other hand, high blood sugar levels make it impossible for all the sugar to be reabsorbed properly by these two organs. Therefore, much of this excess glucose is eliminated through urination.
• Frequent Urination: High amounts of sugar in the blood cause frequent urination. Moreover, because glucose has a urinary excretion mechanism; vital hydrating fluids are flushed out from the body leading to dehydration often seen among diabetic patients.

Early Warning Signs:

At first, you may not notice that you’re going more than usual. However, one key indicator is when increased micturition starts to wake you up at night and rob you of your energy levels.

Other common symptoms of diabetes include:

• Fatigue: People with diabetes feel drained and wearied because their cells cannot derive any power from glucose. Dehydration makes tiredness worse.
• Weight Loss: In individuals with diabetes, low levels of insulin and the inability to absorb sugar from their bloodstream can lead to rapid weight loss.
• Blurred Vision: Fluctuations in blood sugar due to swollen eye lenses result in blurred vision. They can also damage the retina’s blood vessels over time.
• Swollen Gums: Pus build-up or gum swelling could be an issue for many people with diabetes.
• Tingling: Some diabetics may experience tingling sensations on fingers, limbs or toes as one sign of diabetic peripheral neuropathy resulting from too much sugar content within them causing numbness.

When you are experiencing frequent urination and other worrisome symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor to find out the cause of the problem and get the right treatment. This has varied causes hence proper assessment is necessary for correct diagnosis and its management.