Although people may not talk about it much, there’s certainly a connection between cold weather and needing to urinate more often. While nobody knows for sure why this connection exists, professionals assume it’s due to something called cold diuresis.
When your temperature starts to drop, your body reacts by constricting your blood vessels in order to reduce blood flow to the skin. This causes the warmth to collect around your internal organs instead, which leads to an increase in blood pressure since the same amount of blood is now being pumped all over your body through a smaller amount of space. In response to this pressure increase, your kidneys work to filter out excess fluid in the blood to reduce the blood’s volume, causing you to urinate.
While there’s currently no scientific evidence we can use to pinpoint certain risk factors for cold diuresis, such as age or exposure length, you can relax knowing that your symptoms probably aren’t due to a serious underlying health condition.
We do have a few tips for you if you find yourself experience cold diuresis:
1. Stay Warm. Technically, this phenomenon is a warning sign that your body senses the threat of hypothermia. Make sure that you’re wearing plenty of layers and a thick jacket if you plan on being outside in cold temperatures.
2. Drink Plenty of Water. Since you’re losing more fluid than usual due to frequent urination, it’s important to stay hydrated. Make sure that you’re drinking plenty of water each day to keep your body functioning at 100 percent.
3. Track Your Changes. Using the restroom a few more times per day than you usually do is normal in the winter months, but be mindful of any serious changes. If you find yourself using the restroom excessively to the point of discomfort, or you experience symptoms such as urinary incontinence, bladder spasms or bedwetting, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible to rule out underlying conditions such as overactive bladder.
At Arkansas Urology, we’re here for you. If you have questions about cold diuresis, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence or overall bladder health, don’t hesitate to reach out for more information. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our professionals to discuss treatment options, or book an appointment online in minutes.
