Medical Term for Excessive Urination
The medical term for excessive urination is polyuria, defined as abnormally large production and/or passage of urine 1.
Definition and Quantification
Polyuria specifically refers to urine output exceeding 3 liters per day in adults (or >2 L/m²/day in children) 2, 3.
This term describes the volume of urine produced, distinguishing it from urinary frequency (number of voids) or nocturia (nighttime voiding) 1.
Related but Distinct Terms
While polyuria is the correct term for excessive urine production, several related terms describe different urinary symptoms:
Polydipsia: excessive drinking caused by increased thirst, often accompanying polyuria 1.
Urinary frequency: more than seven micturition episodes during waking hours, which may or may not involve large volumes 4.
Nocturia: interruption of sleep one or more times to void, which can result from polyuria but has multiple other causes 1, 4.
Nocturnal polyuria: specifically refers to >33% of 24-hour urine output occurring at night, characterized by normal or large volume nocturnal voids 1, 5.
Clinical Context
The distinction between these terms matters clinically because polyuria represents a pathophysiological state requiring evaluation for underlying causes such as diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, chronic kidney disease, or osmotic diuresis 6, 3. In contrast, urinary frequency without increased total volume suggests bladder dysfunction rather than excessive urine production 1, 4.