The number of times you have to wee in the night could be sign of silent killer

05 November 2023 , 19:58

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Making multiple trips to the toilet in the night could be a sign of prostate cancer (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Regularly waking up in the night to go for a wee could be a sign of a 'silent killer', according to health experts.

New research from King Edward VII’s Hospital in London showed that many men report making multiple trips to the toilet during sleeping hours. But a large number seem reluctant to get it checked out, despite it being a potential sign of prostate cancer. In the study, up to 28% of respondents said they used the toilet three times during the night. Though 20 percent thought this had something to do with their prostate, another 29% put it down to older age. Other reasons given by participants included drinking too much water before bed, or having caffeinated drinks late at night.

In total, 55% of men report a symptom which could suggest problems with their prostate, including a quarter dribbling at the end of weeing, and around a seventh incompletely emptying their bladder or struggling to start weeing. But shockingly, more than two fifths wouldn’t want to see a doctor, with 35% of them worried about having to have an intimate exam, and 34% avoiding their GP due to embarrassment.

Prostate cancer is often referred to as a "silent killer," because it can develop without presenting noticeable symptoms. But acting early on any suspicions can help you get the treatment you need, and significantly improves your health prospects. Caroline Moore, a consultant urologist at King Edward VII’s Hospital, has now urged men to visit their GP if they are find themselves struggling - no matter how embarrassing the issue might be. She said: “We are used to seeing men with a wide range of symptoms that they mind find embarrassing – so there really is nothing that can shock us.

“It’s important that men who are struggling with an issue with pain, delayed or frequent weeing to see their GP at their earliest convenience. Most of the time it will be caused by something harmless that can be fixed by a change in lifestyle, such as drinking less alcohol or caffeine.”

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“When there is a more serious problem at play, such as an enlarged prostate or cancer, we have a wide variety of diagnostic and treatment tools available, such as a state-of-the-art HoLEP technique which can help manage an enlarged prostate, or focal therapies for prostate cancer, such as High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU) or NanoKnife.”

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas