Most men get up to use the bathroom multiple times every night tend to put the blame on age, or prostate conditions. Then, as we do with most physical ailments and inconveniences, we ignore them. But that’s a really bad idea.
According to researchers at Australia’s University of Adelaide, all that middle-of-the-night peeing could be a symptom of a number of health conditions, most of which are treatable—but only if you see your healthcare provider.
For example, multiple bathroom trips (sometimes called nocturia) can be a symptom of overactive bladder syndrome—a condition that affects 20% of men over 40 and one in three over 70.
“These urinary problems are associated with other conditions, such as sleep apnea, depression or anxiety, and obesity,” said Dr. Sean Martin, the paper’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Adelaide’s Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health. They may also increase a man’s risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
“[M]en who are suffering from any of these water-works problems are also likely to be suffering from a range of other health problems that should be looked for and managed,” adds co-author Gary Wittert, Head of the Discipline of Medicine at the University of Adelaide and Director of the University’s Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health. “In this way, men have a greater chance of reversing their bladder problems and potentially preventing more serious disease.”
