Pee Now or Forever Have Incontinence

Emptying our bladder approximately once every three hours is something that doctors highly recommend. The reality is, however, that certain situations prevent us from following our doctor’s instructions. From heavy traffic to queueing lines at a public restroom, sometimes, we find ourselves in circumstances where we need to hold in our pee.

When nature calls, responding with “wait” or “BRB” for an hour or two may not threaten your health. But holding in your pee for too long, or by making a habit of not relieving yourself can harm your body long-term.

How Your Bladder Functions

November is Healthy Bladder Month, thus our topic of discussion today. Your bladder is an expandable organ, and two tubes called ureters carry filtered urine from your kidneys to your bladder. As soon as your bladder contains about 16 to 24 ounces of fluid, it is considered full.

According to research, the bladder is complete with receptors that tell the brain how full it is. Essentially, the bladder has an invisible “fill line.” What this means is once your pee reaches that line, your brain receives a signal indicating your need to urinate. This exchange between the two organs occurs when your bladder is a quarter of the way full.

What Happens When You Hold in Your Pee

The dangers of holding in your pee are byproducts of cumulative negligence. To be specific, if you always ignore the urge to pee, you may develop unwanted complications.

Here are some of the consequences of holding your pee:

• Urinary tract infection (UTI). When you keep your urine in for days at a time, you are exposing your body to harmful bacteria that are meant to be released. Therefore, if you do not empty your bladder often enough or all the way, you can develop a urinary tract infection. A UTI can escalate to several complications, such as recurrent infections, a blood condition called sepsis, and permanent kidney damage.
• Urinary retention. If you hold in your pee for 10 hours or longer, you may experience urinary retention. This condition prevents you from emptying your bladder completely, even when you want to.
• Incontinence. Many office employees are guilty of ignoring the urge to pee because (a) they are beating a deadline, or (b) they don’t want to get up. If you have a habit of holding in your urine, your bladder may begin to atrophy. Over time, you may suffer from a lack of voluntary control over urination (incontinence).
• Burst bladder. Yes, this happens and it’s serious. In rare cases, resisting nature’s call can cause your bladder to break.

Can You Die from Ignoring Nature’s Call?

“Death by holding in pee” is not something you would want on your tombstone. The truth is, the likelihood of dying from holding in pee is extremely low. In general, your bladder will involuntarily relieve itself long before you are in any physical danger. Still, what you are risking is a burst bladder that requires immediate medical attention because it is a life-threatening condition.

Takeaway

If your bladder is healthy, holding your pee every now and then is not dangerous to your health. But do not turn it into a habit. Resisting your urge to pee on a regular basis can raise the risk of UTIs and other complications mentioned in this blog. So, always go when you feel the need to go!