Published on Feb 05, 2026 | 7:25 AM
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If you’ve ever noticed that you urinate more often in cold weather, you’re not imagining it. This phenomenon is called cold diuresis, and it’s a normal physiological response to cold exposure. While it can feel inconvenient, it plays an important role in how the body protects itself in low temperatures.
Understanding cold diuresis also explains why winter dehydration is more common than people realize.
Cold diuresis is the increase in urine production that occurs when your body is exposed to cold temperatures. It’s not caused by drinking more fluids — in fact, it often happens even when fluid intake decreases.
The process begins with how blood vessels respond to cold.
When you’re exposed to cold, your body tries to preserve heat by narrowing blood vessels near the skin. This process, called vasoconstriction, pushes more blood toward your core.
As blood shifts inward:
Blood pressure inside the core temporarily increases
The kidneys sense this increased pressure and volume
The kidneys respond by filtering out more fluid
You produce more urine
This response helps reduce pressure and maintain balance — but it also means you lose more fluid.
Cold diuresis often happens alongside two other winter changes:
Reduced thirst signals (you don’t feel as thirsty in cold weather)
Increased fluid loss through breathing dry air
Together, these factors make dehydration more likely in winter, even without sweating. Many people mistake dehydration symptoms — fatigue, headaches, dizziness — for general winter sluggishness.
You can’t stop cold diuresis — and you don’t need to. But you can support your body by:
Drinking fluids regularly, even without thirst
Using warm beverages like herbal tea or warm water
Limiting excess caffeine and alcohol in cold settings
Dressing warmly to reduce prolonged cold exposure
Using humidifiers indoors to reduce moisture loss
Hydration in winter should be intentional, not thirst-driven.
Frequent urination that is new, excessive, painful, or accompanied by symptoms like burning, blood in urine, fever, or swelling should be evaluated. While cold diuresis is normal, not all urinary changes are weather-related.
A CallOnDoc provider can help determine whether symptoms are due to cold exposure, hydration imbalance, medication effects, or an underlying condition.
Cold diuresis is a normal response to cold weather that helps regulate blood pressure and circulation — but it increases fluid loss. Because thirst is blunted in winter, dehydration can sneak up quickly.
Staying hydrated in cold months is just as important as it is in summer — it just requires more awareness.
Shelly House, FNP, is a Family Nurse Practitioner and Call-On-Doc’s trusted medical education voice. With extensive experience in telehealth and patient-centered care, Ms. House is dedicated to making complex health topics simple and accessible. Through evidence-based content, provider collaboration, and a passion for empowering patients, her mission is to break down barriers to healthcare by delivering clear, compassionate, and practical medical guidance.
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