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Frequent urination Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Frequent urination. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.



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  1. How long have you had frequent urination?

    Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

  2. How many times would you pass urine per day?

    Why: to gauge severity.

  3. How many times would you pass urine at night?
  4. Is the quantity of urine passed per time large or small?

    Why: it is important to clarify whether "frequent urination" means true frequent trips to the bathroom with excessive urination (output of a large amount of urine leading to frequent urination) or frequent attempts to urinate with only reduced urine output (i.e. small amounts of urine).

  5. How much fluid would you drink per day?

    Why: can help determine hydration status, detect excessive thirst in diabetes mellitus and insipidus and also detect habitual overdrinking.

  6. What is the colour of the urine?

    Why: e.g. cloudy, clear or blood stained.

  7. Pregnant?

    Why: pregnant women have a higher chance of urinary tract infections and it is important to treat them as they can lead to pyelonephritis and higher chance of developing high blood pressure in pregnancy and higher chance of delivering a low birth weight baby.

  8. Caffeine intake?

    Why: excessive caffeine intake may cause frequent urination because it has a diuretic action.

  9. Alcohol use?

    Why: alcohol also has a diuretic action.

  10. Medications?

    Why: diuretics may cause transient passing of large amounts of urine; some medications can cause diabetes insipidus such as lithium, glibenclamide.

  11. Past surgical history?

    Why: e.g. hypothalamic-pituitary surgery is the most common cause of diabetes insipidus.

  12. Sexual history?

    Why: may help in assessing risk of sexually acquired urethritis.

  13. Painful urination?

    Why: If painful urination and frequent small amounts of urine must consider cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, bladder stones and tuberculosis of the bladder. If painless urination of frequent small amounts of urine consider prostatic hypertrophy, urethral stricture or spastic neurogenic bladder.

  14. Fever?

    Why: consider pyelonephritis.

  15. Excessive appetite and thirst?

    Why: may suggest diabetes mellitus or hyperthyroidism.

  16. Symptoms of urinary tract infection?

    Why: e.g. pain and burning with urination, urinary frequency, blood in urine in severe cases, offensive smell to urine.

  17. Symptoms of pyelonephritis (acute bacterial infection of the kidney)

    Why: e.g. symptoms as for urinary tract loin and also loin pain, fever, chills, nausea.

  18. Symptoms of prostatitis?

    Why: e.g. fever, chills, pain between anus and base of penis, urinary frequency, urgency and pain with urination, sometimes blood in the urine.

  19. Symptoms of urinary stones?

    Why: e.g. intense pain in loin radiating down to groin, cloudy urine due to blood in the urine.

  20. Symptoms of urethritis?

    Why: e.g. burning sensation with passing urine, penile discharge or leakage.

  21. May be due to gonorrhea, chlamydia, ureaplasma and other organisms
  22. Symptoms of Diabetes mellitus?


  23. Symptoms of Diabetes insipidus?

    Why: e.g. frequency of urination, large quantities of urine produced, need to urinate at night, excessive thirst, dehydration.

  24. Symptoms of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (benign enlargement of the prostate)?

    Why: e.g. frequency of urination, urgency, need to pass urine at night, hesitancy of urination, slow interrupted flow, terminal dribbling of urine, acute retention of urine.

  25. Symptoms of prostate cancer

    Why: e.g. may be without symptoms; be similar to symptoms of Benign prostatic hypertrophy or also include bone pain from metastases, tiredness, weight loss and perineal pain.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Frequent urination:




