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Urinary Frequency Issues

09/11/2009

Question:

My daughter is 13 years old and having EXTREMELY bad urinary frequency problems. Apparantly she says her body doesn`t tell her she has to urinate until it`s too late and she has 2 seconds to get to the bathroom. Also, she`s fine at night and doesn`t wet the bed.

Answer:

You have mentioned two separate issues–urinary frequency and urgency. There are many aspects that need to be addressed. First, is this a lifelong problem or recent? Second, how often does she have to urinate? Does she have to leave class at school? Does she leak urine in her underwear? Is there an odor to the urine? If so, it could be from a urinary tract infection.

Another important consideration is her bowel function. Many children her age with this disorder have significant constipation, and treatment with glycolax powder often improves their symptoms significantly. Another important consideration is whether she is voiding a large amount or a small volume when she urinates frequently. If her symptoms are bothersome, then evaluation by a pediatric urologist would be worthwhile.

For more information:

Go to the Urinary and Genital Disorders (Children) health topic.