Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Ekaterina Demidova
Topics: Health
Joe Yates
It's difficult to tot up how many times you go to the toilet without making a note of it at the start of the day.
However, a bathroom break is second nature to us, so it's not something you particularly think of during the day - unless you're about to embark on a long car journey.
But we still have to be mindful that drastic changes to our bathroom schedule could indicate serious issues.
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There are a few factors that determine just how often you take a leak, these are: your age, what and how much you drink, and your health - more specifically, if you're pregnant or you have a medical condition, or even any medication you may be on.
"What’s normal for one person may be quite different for someone else," Dr Raevti Bole told the Cleveland Clinic.
"Some people might urinate 10 times a day, and that’s perfectly OK if it’s not bothersome to you, other people may go only four times over a 24-hour timeframe, and that’s also usually fine."
The average is about seven times a day, but that isn't something you must stick by - if you go over or under then you don't need to worry unless you're experiencing drastic changes in your pee cycle.
The urologist explained what may be a cause for concern when it comes to going for a tinkle, as well as how often you should 'skip to the loo'.
"The average number of pee breaks from morning to night usually falls around seven, but your restroom trip count can vary widely based on a variety of factors,” Dr Bole said. “And it’s not unusual to have high- or low-flow urine days."
The average person can hold between 350ml to 600ml of liquid, but as mentioned earlier, there are many things that can affect how fast you drain it.
Dr Bole continues: "Alcohol and caffeinated drinks can have a diuretic effect, meaning they make you pee more. Certain drinks or foods can also stimulate or irritate the bladder, causing the urge to urinate more frequently."
Also age can have an impact on how often you go to the bathroom, as she says: "As you get older, you’re more prone to getting up to pee in the middle of the night.
"This may be caused by an enlarged prostate or decreased production of a hormone that helps concentrate urine so you can hold it until you wake up in the morning."
So when does our bladder become a problem?
For men, a decrease in the amount of times you drain the main vein could be a sign of a problem with your prostate.
While for men and women alike, it could indicate that you're suffering with a condition where your bladder isn't emptying the way it should be, this is called urinary retention.
Meanwhile, a sudden influx in the need to 'go' might be caused by a number of things, including:
Dr Bole recommends going to a healthcare professional if the 'unusual and unexplained pattern develops and lasts more than a few days'.