Why do we have more urge to urinate when it’s cold?

Have you noticed that when the temperature drops, the urge to urinate increases? Well, it’s not about madness or some psychological reaction, but a very common situation that happens to everyone – and the explanation is physiological.

O awesome.club was given the task of finding out why this very uncomfortable situation sometimes happens. And we will share it all with you.

To begin to understand this physiological phenomenon, the first thing is to know that the body has two main ways to eliminate excess fluid:

The simplest conclusion we can draw from this is that when it’s cold, we sweat less. Therefore, without sweat, the only way for the body to eliminate water is through the urine. While this is true, the explanation is a little more complex and is due to the so-called cold-induced diuresis.

This is an increase in urine output linked to exposure to cold. You may have noticed that when the weather is hot, your body appears to be more swollen — because of fluid retention. During the winter, however, the opposite occurs; the body contracts and generally does not retain fluid.

When the temperature drops, the dilation of the body also decreases, there is a contraction of blood vessels and less liquid retention occurs; so we generate more urine. The body reacts to the cold to protect itself by sending more blood to vital organs, reducing blood flow to the extremities.

This causes the blood vessels to contract, increasing the pressure (the same amount of blood in a smaller space) perceived by the kidneys, which will now have the task of releasing this blood pressure, eliminating unnecessary fluids, which end up turning into urine. .

Cold diuresis is quite common in underwater activities such as diving, as in addition to facing the low temperature, divers end up suffering a change in pressure due to depth.

As there are many factors involved in the number of times you urinate per day, such as the food you consume, physical activity or fluid intake, it is not possible to determine an ideal number of trips to the bathroom. But it can be said that an average of 6 or 7 times a day and once at night is considered regular. If you go to the bathroom much more than this average, especially at night, see your doctor to rule out any health problems.

In addition, there is a condition known as excessive or frequent urination, which is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to urinate, causing discomfort in the bladder and which can be the result of a urinary tract infection, infected or inflamed urethra, nerve problems or even excessive caffeine consumption.

If, in addition to going to the bathroom too often, you have other symptoms, such as difficulty or pain when urinating, loss of bladder control, or a change in the color of your urine, consider seeing a doctor.

In the case of children, you should also pay attention to the number of times they urinate in a day. Although it is normal for little ones to wet the bed sometimes, if this happens daily or happens again after a long period without “accidents”, it is possible that they have bladder problems or have a slower than normal physical development.

As you can see, the increased urge to urinate in cold weather is not imaginary or psychological. Do you have any experience where the urge to urinate caused an embarrassing moment? Tell us in the comments.