(GoHealthier.com) – We’ve all experienced it: the sudden urge to pee at an inconvenient time. Whether we want to stay in bed an hour longer or we’d rather head home instead of using the restroom at work, most of us have held our bladders longer than we should have. But could ignoring this bodily function actually be harming our health? Here are some important reasons people shouldn’t hold their pee.
| Quick Read: When people hold their pee, they put stress on their bodies that they could have avoided. Sometimes, like on a road trip where there isn’t a rest area for a while, holding pee can’t be helped. But overall, people should honor what their bladder is telling them and pee when they need to. Read on to find out four reasons why holding pee can be a bad thing for the body. |
Make Sure You’ve Had a Bathroom Break, and Then Check Out This Article.
1. Holding Your Pee Can Cause Urinary Tract Infections
There are harmful bacteria in a person’s urine. When those bacteria stay in the body for an extended time, they can cause infections. The most common of those infections is a urinary tract infection, or UTI. These infections may cause pain and burning during urination.
UTIs can get worse if they’re left untreated. The infection might travel back into the kidneys and move to the blood, leading to sepsis. It might not happen often, but why take the risk? Emptying your bladder when you feel the urge generally prevents them from occurring in the first place.
2. It Can Lead to Incontinence
Adult bladders are designed to hold about 2 cups of urine. Children and babies, of course, hold a lot less than that before they need to pee. If holding pee becomes a habit, the bladder doesn’t have the opportunity to empty, fill, and empty in the cycle to which it is best suited. Because of that, it may weaken and start to atrophy. An atrophic bladder isn’t going to hold urine properly and may lead to incontinence.
3. You Might Not Be Able to Pee Even When You Try
In some cases, people who hold their pee too often for too long find that they can’t pee when they need to, or that peeing is much more difficult than it should be. They may have to wait longer for their urine to flow, or they may even need medical intervention to have their bladder drained. The resulting retention may do long-term damage to the bladder, not to mention how uncomfortable and painful it could be. Urinary retention happens when a person’s bladder muscles can’t relax to allow for proper emptying and is often caused by holding pee for 10 hours or longer.
4. It Can Cause Your Bladder to Actually Burst
Ever hear the saying: “I have to pee so bad, my bladder may burst?” Although it’s extremely rare, it is possible for a person’s bladder to actually burst from not peeing in time.
Usually, holding your pee too long will result in the bladder forcing the issue and relieving itself before any real damage is done. But sometimes that doesn’t happen, and without medical intervention for urinary retention, the bladder may burst, pouring urine into the abdominal cavity. If this happens, it is a life-threatening, emergent condition. Seek medical assistance immediately.
If pee must be held for an extra hour on a road trip, it probably won’t cause any damage. Things like that happen to nearly everyone a time or two, and it’s pretty normal. But when it’s possible to pee and the urge is there, let it go! Regularly holding your pee or holding it for prolonged periods may cause serious damage — even death. If you’ve been experiencing any unusual urinary symptoms like pain, burning or difficulty emptying your bladder, consult with a healthcare provider.
~Here’s to a Healthier Life!
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