Frequent urination as a symptom of endometriosis

Frequent urination in endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition in which endometrium-like growths also occur outside the uterus. The hallmark symptoms are cycle-dependent pain, particularly in the lower abdomen, abnormal bleeding, and reduced fertility. However, endometriosis causes numerous additional symptoms or predisposes you to other conditions, so the range of complaints it triggers can also affect the urinary tract. This includes frequent urination, also referred to as overactive bladder.

Frequent urination can be triggered by increased fluid intake, which then has to be excreted more often. Frequent urination as an accompanying feature of endometriosis, however, means that there is an urge to urinate even though the bladder is not yet significantly filled. You feel the urge to urinate not only when the bladder is full, but already at a low volume. The bladder therefore prematurely signals “full,” which leads to frequent urination.

Before treatment can take place and bring you relief, the exact causes of the frequent urination need to be identified. The following endometriosis-related aspects may be involved:

• Lesions in the bladder: Space-occupying lesions in the bladder result in a “filling” of the bladder, so less space remains for urine.
• Irritation: If an endometriotic lesion grows into the tissue of the bladder (deep infiltrating endometriosis), the sensitivity of bladder function can be disrupted.
• Scarring/adhesions in the abdominal cavity: If scarring develops in the abdomen around the bladder as a result of endometriotic lesions, this can irritate the bladder, as it may be connected to other organs. 
• Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: In this condition, the protective layer of the bladder mucosa becomes permeable, leading to chronic non-bacterial cystitis. Women with endometriosis have a significantly increased risk of developing  bladder pain syndrome.