Why You Should Never Hold In Your Pee

In my many years of practice, the number of times I’ve advised patients not to hold in their urine is countless.

Going to the bathroom when nature calls can be a nuisance when we’re busy or nowhere near the facilities, but it’s important. 

You’ve likely heard the same advice from a doctor, or even friends and family, but do you really know the significance behind it?

The harm of holding in your pee isn’t usually discussed, but I’m here to explain what exactly you’re doing to your body when you decide to skip the restroom.

How well do you know your bladder?

First, let’s understand our bladders. An average bladder can hold about 15 ounces of liquid – if you drink eight glasses a day, which is about 64 ounces.

Although there is not much research with regard to how long a person should hold their urine in for, it has been estimated that it can vary between three to six hours. 

The time frame is dependent on how much liquid you’re consuming and how functional your bladder is.

When your bladder reaches its capacity, it sends a signal to the brain prompting you to go to the bathroom. If you start to ignore this prompt, you may lose it over time. That’s a problem, because you need that signal to keep your bladder healthy.

Other issues concerning the bladder are urinary incontinence and an overactive bladder, which makes you feel you need to go often and urgently. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 50 percent of Americans over 65 have some trouble with incontinence, and 33 million Americans have been diagnosed with overactive bladder.

Help protect your liver from 'chemical death'

Thanks to modern living almost everything you consume has a toxic edge. Drinking water, processed foods, drugs, even the air you breathe contains chemicals that could end up in your liver and damage it. This can lead to health issues like poor digestion, body aches, weakness, poor skin and even a foggy brain.

Holding in your urine not only causes discomfort and possible pain, but other serious issues come along, too.

When you’ve got to go, go!

When you hold your urine, you’re allowing for bacteria to develop which can cause an infection. Urinary tract infections (UTI) most commonly affect women, but men are also at risk. 

UTIs are most commonly treated with antibiotics, but if they develop further or are not treated, the infection can move to the kidneys – which can cause permanent damage or chronic kidney infections. They can become reoccurring, leaving you with a lot of discomfort.

They become more complicated in seniors and are often misdiagnosed because the diagnosis can be confused with dementia or Alzheimer’s. 

This is because when bacteria in the urine spreads in the bloodstream, it causes symptoms of confusion and other cognitive difficulties.

In fact, as Nursing magazine reports, 30 to 40 percent of seniors don’t exhibit typical symptoms of a UTI because of aging, and the diagnosis once again is missed. If a senior starts to exhibit changes to their cognitive thinking, doctors should also be looking for symptoms associated with a UTI.

Keep your bladder healthy

Another concern is for those who claim they don’t need to go, or rarely go, throughout the day. This could mean dehydration, and a lack fluid in the body is equally as harmful as holding in a full bladder. Stick to drinking about eight glasses a day for bladder health.

It’s not just fluid that gets released when you urinate. Dead blood cells, chemicals, and what you ingest, also gets released when you pee. 

So consider your restroom break a way for your body to cleanse itself of toxins and excess chemicals you don’t need. When you stay hydrated, your body can flush out these chemicals much easier than when you’re dehydrated.

Other tips to keep your bladder and urinary tract in good form are wearing “breathable” underwear, preferably made from cotton. If you have to wear a diaper or urinary pad, make sure to change it regularly.

Don’t forget about wiping protocol! Women in particular should wipe front to back to avoid bacteria from entering the body. Urinate after sex to prevent the spread of bacteria as well.

Also remember to check for changes in your bathroom habits. If you’re starting to go more frequently, the color of your urine changes, or you feel as though you’re not emptying your bladder completely, seek medical attention right away. You don’t want to create a long-term problem.

The next time you’re starting to feel the urge to use the bathroom, follow that cue, and protect your bladder.