Doctor reveals how many times a day you should be having a wee

It can say a lot about your overall health

There are two sides to the spectrum, as some people wake up multiple times a night, 'bursting' to relieve themselves, while others can go a full working day without so much as one visit to the lavatories.

Now, where you sit on this spectrum can say a lot about your overall health.

Hamid Abboudi, who is a consultant urologist at New Victoria Hospital, claims that tea, coffee, alcohol, and fizzy drinks can make you pee more often than when you're not consuming these beverages, as they can 'cause the bladder to become overactive or over twitchy', per Metro.

In addition, medical conditions, such as UTIs, prostate or bladder cancer, multiple sclerosis, and strokes, can also impact the frequency of using the loo, along with gender and pregnancy.

However, the most important factor affecting frequency is age.

Dr Abboudi explains: "Across a patient’s life span, there are likely to be several changes to toilet habits."

If you're wondering what an average amount of 'leaks' is for your age group, it's been broken down for you.

Children: 6 to 14 times a day

Hamid told Metro: "Young children may urinate 8 to 14 times a day, which decreases to 6-12 times for older children."

So, if a child tends to take more bathroom breaks than this, they could be suffering from anxiety, caffeine consumption, constipation, holding on to urine for too long, small bladder capacity, consuming ingredients the child is allergic to, or structural abnormalities in the bladder or urethra.

Teenagers: 4 to 6 times a day

Even though teenagers typically pee around 4 to 6 times a day, it's not uncommon for this to increase during puberty as the 'transition of hormonal imbalances' could well be the reason for it.

Dr Abboudi explains that in most cases there is nothing to worry about and it will 'naturally clear up', however, he points out that it could potentially be a sign of something more serious, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), diabetes, excessive caffeine consumption or even bladder cancer.

Adults under 60: 6 to 9 times a day

According to Dr Abboudi, peeing 5 to 8 times a day and once at night (depending on their circumstances) is considered normal.

He does point out that women tend to urinate more frequently than men, citing a study which found women average 5.6 times per day, while men sat at 4.8.

"For women, pregnancy can be a trigger, as the pressure effect of the baby on the uterus can cause increased frequency of urination and nocturia (nighttime urination)," Hamid explained.

"Urinary tract infections are also very common in women and can lead to increased urinary frequency."

Adults aged 60+: Up to 10 times a day

As we grow older, our kidney function starts to decline, and bladder muscles become weaker, increasing our bathroom breaks even more.

Nocturia is also more common among people aged over 60, as elderly people 'may be getting up twice a night' to use the loo due to reduced antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which regulates the amount of water in the body, according to the NHS.

Dr Abboudi explains that ‘older adults are more likely to be on a form of medication called diuretics for various medical conditions’, and this can also lead to using the loo more frequently throughout the day and at night.

He adds: "For men, as they get older, the prostate gland increases in size. This puts pressure on the bladder and can increase the number of times a man urinates."