The Healthy Geezer

By Fred Cicetti

Q. I’m a 76-year-old woman, and I have to take a long nap every day because I’m up nights urinating. I know a lot of my contemporaries have the same problem. I’m curious to know how widespread this is.

First, don’t presume the nightly bathroom trips are insignificant. See a doctor to determine the cause. There are solutions to your problem, but they depend upon a diagnosis.

You’re suffering from a very common problem called “nocturia” — the need to urinate at night. Some people with severe nocturia get up as many as six times a night to go to the bathroom. The International Continence Society defines nocturia as two or more voids at night.

Nocturia is more common among seniors than younger people. In a survey taken by the National Sleep Foundation, about two thirds of the adults (55 to 84 years-old) polled reported an urge to go to the bathroom at least several nights a week.

There are a variety of reasons for nocturia in older people.

First, we produce less of a hormone that helps us retain fluid. Because of this decreased capacity, seniors produce more urine at night. Second, the bladder — a muscular sac — loses its capacity to hold urine. Third, we have more health problems that can affect the bladder.

Both men and women get nocturia.

Many men suffer from nocturia because of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate. The prostate is a walnut-size organ surrounding the tube (urethra) carrying urine from the bladder and out of your body.

BPH is common in men 50 and older. An enlarged prostate may squeeze the urethra, making it hard to urinate. It may cause dribbling after you urinate or a frequent urge to urinate, especially at night.

Pelvic organ displacement, menopause and childbirth can cause nocturia in many women.

The pelvic floor is a network of muscles, ligaments and other tissues that hold up the pelvic organs — the vagina, rectum, uterus and bladder. When this hammock-like network weak-

ens, the organs can slip out of place and create disorders.

A woman reaches menopause when a year has passed since her last period. Menopause, like many of the changes in a woman’s body through her lifetime, is caused by changes in hormone levels. Menopause can make it difficult to hold urine.

There are other medical conditions that cause nocturia. These include infection, tumors, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver failure, diabetes and sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is much more common in older adults and men. Apnea is Greek for “without breath.” People with sleep apnea stop breathing for as long as 30 seconds at a time. These interruptions can happen hundreds of times a night. The breathing cessations may wake you.

There are people who overproduce urine at night. This is called “nocturnal polyuria.” It can cause nocturia, too.

Other causes of nocturia that are not medical conditions are drinking caffeine, alcohol or too much liquid close to bedtime. In addition, diuretic medications can contribute to the problem.

AUGUSTA — University Credit Union presented checks to the University of Maine at Augusta totaling $2,422 for its student-run food pantries on the Augusta and Bangor campuses.

The Augusta campus check of $1,622 was presented to Fatimah Aleem, UMA’s Student Government Association president for its student-run campus food pantry, The Community Cupboard. A check in the amount of $800 was presented to Food for Thought Student Coordinator Nicole Roberts for the student-run Bangor campus Food for Thought pantry.

Through its Ending Hunger on Campus in Maine campaign, UCU raised $12,559.81 in donations for University of Maine System student-organized and campus-sanctioned food pantries. UCU matched this amount for a total donation of $25,119.62 to eight food pantries on campuses within the University of Maine System.

It was the second year of UCU’s Ending Hunger on Campus in Maine campaign to bring attention to student food insecurity in Maine and to recognize student food pantries for tackling the problem headon. From Nov. 26 to Dec. 31, community members were encouraged to donate online through UCU’s website, or by stopping by or mailing a check to any UCU branch. Donors could choose to specify a campus food pantry and non-designated contributions were distributed among the eight pantries.

The donations from UCU will allow the Community Cupboard and the Food For Thought pantry to supplement their offerings. Current supplies come through funding from the Hunger Dialogue Grant, as well as SGA funds allocated to the Community Cupboard and in-kind and monetary donations to the Food for Thought pantry. UMA photo

04/13 vs. Mt. Ararat High School 2:00 PM 04/16 @ Messalonskee High School 10:00 AM 04/22 vs. Winslow High School 4:00 PM 04/27 @ Biddeford High School 10:00 AM 05/02 @ Camden Hills High School 4:00 PM 05/03 @ St. Dom’s 4:00 PM 05/07 @ Cony High School 4:00 PM 05/11 vs. Gardiner Area High School 3:00 PM 05/18 vs. Westbrook High School 1:00 PM 05/21 vs. Brunswick High School 5:00 PM 05/23 vs. John Bapst 4:00 PM 05/29 @ Morse High School 5:00 PM

04/13 vs. Maine Central Institute 2:00 PM 04/17 @ Bangor High School 4:00 PM 04/19 vs. Cony High School 1:00 PM 04/22 vs. Boothbay Region High School 4:00 PM 04/27 Lincoln Academy Home 3:30 PM 04/30 vs. Winslow High School Home 4:00 PM 05/08 @ Oceanside High School 4:00 PM 05/13 @ Lawrence High School 4:00 PM 05/17 @ Boothbay Region High School 4:00 PM 05/20 vs. Erskine Academy 4:00 PM 05/22 vs. Oxford Hills High School 4:00 PM 05/24 @ Lincoln Academy 6:00 PM 05/30 @ Nokomis High School 4:00 PM

04/11 VS. Waterville High School 3:30 PM 04/22 @ Brewer High Schoo 3:30 PM 04/24 vs. Belfast High School 4:00 PM 04/26 @ Oceanside High School 4:00 PM 04/29 @ Gardiner Area High School 4:00 PM 05/06 @ Lincoln Academy 4:00 PM 05/08 vs. Kents Hill 4:00 PM 05/10 vs. Medomak Valley HS 4:00 PM 05/13 vs. Maine Central Institute 4:00 PM 05/15 @ Erskine Academy 4:00 PM 05/17 @ Lewiston High School 4:00 PM 05/20 vs. Edward Little HS 4:00 PM 05/22 vs. Morse High School 4:00 PM

04/11 @ Waterville High School 3:30 PM 04/22 vs. Brewer High School 3:30 PM 04/24 @ Belfast High School 4:00 PM 04/26 vs. Oceanside High School 4:00 PM 04/29 vs. Gardiner Area High School 4:00 PM 05/06 vs. Lincoln Academy 4:00 PM 05/10 @ Medomak Valley HS 4:00 PM 05/13 @ Maine Central Institute 4:00 PM 05/15 vs. Erskine Academy 4:00 PM 05/17 vs. Lewiston High School 4:00 PM 05/20 @ Mt. Blue High School 4:00 PM 05/22 @ Morse High School 4:00 PM

04/17 vs. Oceanside HS 4:00 PM 04/19 vs. OOB High School 4:00 PM 04/22 @ MCI 4:00 PM 04/24 @ Leavitt High School 4:00 PM 04/27 vs. St. Dom’s 1:00 PM 04/29 @ Lawrence High School 4:00 PM 05/03 @Winslow High School 4:00 PM 05/06 vs. MCI 4:00 PM 05/08 @ Erskine Academy 4:00 PM 05/09 @ OOB High School 4:00 PM 05/15 vs. Mt. View High School 4:00 PM 05/17 @ St. Dom’s 4:00 PM 05/20 vs. Lincoln Academy 4:00 PM 05/22 vs. Waterville HS 4:00 PM 05/23 vs. Leavitt High School 4:00 PM 05/28 @ Mt. View High School 4:00 PM

04/17 vs. Oceanside HS 4:00 PM 04/19 vs. OOB High School 4:00 PM 04/22 @ MCI 4:00 PM 04/24 @ Leavitt High School 4:00 PM 04/27 vs. St. Dom’s 1:00 PM 04/29 @ Lawrence High School 4:00 PM 05/03 @ Winslow High School 4:00 PM 05/06 vs. MCI 4:00 PM 05/08 @ Erskine Academy 4:00 PM 05/09 @ OOB High School 4:00 PM 05/15 vs. Mt. View High School 4:00 PM 05/17 @ St. Dom’s 4:00 PM 05/20 vs. Lincoln Academy 4:00 PM 05/22 vs. Waterville HS 4:00 PM 05/23 vs. Leavitt High School 4:00 PM 05/28 Mt. View High School 4:00 PM