Procrastinating Peeing: Good or Bad?

Oh My! Its Going to be a Long Wait

Sitting Cross-legged can Suppress the Urge to Urinate

In the middle of a car travel, during a movie or in a meeting at office individuals hesitate to pee and hold on their urge to urinate. Resisting the need to use the bathroom is more common during travel or touring as people hesitate using common restrooms. While some do it rarely, some might hold on to peeing from morning to night until they return to their hotel. But how much of it is acceptable and are there any side effects included?

Hold or Let Go
Holding your urge to pee rarely is not wrongful but making it a habit owing to laziness or other lame excuses will not solve your problems but only aggravate them. The urinary bladder sends a signal to the brain to urge the individual to pee once it is half-full while holding back urine. The concerned individual either empties his/her bladder contents immediately or holds it back when there is a difficulty to access the restroom, when he/she is writing an examination or practicing bladder control exercises. Scientifically, there are no rules and regulations laid down to determine how and when it is safe to hold the pee and it entirely depends on the individual involved. Holding your pee too long or too often leads to potential side effects:

1. Pain is a common symptom present in people who hold their pee quite often. Bladder and kidneys might pain and urinating might also hurt. Pelvic cramps are also possible as the muscles might stay somewhat clamped.
2. There are no scientific evidences supporting the fact that holding the pee causes urinary tract infection (UTI) but physicians recommend against holing your urine especially in those people who are prone to UTI. Consumption of insufficient fluids paves way for development of UTI in people as the bladder doesn’t tell the body to pee. This causes bacteria to spread through the urinary tract, multiply and result in UTI. Read more about UTI, its symptoms and treatment from the website www.firsteatright.com.
3. Holding off the urge to urinate causes the bladder to stretch which makes it difficult for the bladder to contract pee normally. A stretched bladder might require additional elements such as a catheter to pee
4. Pelvic floor muscles are affected in the process of retaining urine. Urethral sphincter, a muscle which helps to keep the urethra closed prevents urine from leaking but when this muscle is affected due to frequently holding the pee it might lead to urinary incontinence
5. Our urine contains minerals such as uric acid and calcium oxalate. Individuals whose urine have a high mineral content or those who have a history of kidney stones are at an increased risk of kidney stones when he/she holds his/her pee.
   
   

Extremely rarely, the concerned person can experience bladder burst if he/she holds the pee too. While rare there are chances of occurrence and the bladder might overpower the sphincter muscles that hold the urine.

Learning to Pee Less Often
Physicians sometimes recommend individuals to learn to pee less often by resisting the urge to pee. This is basically done by training the bladder to hold more amount of fluid before sending signals to the brain to create an urge to urinate. This ultimately decreases the number of trips to the bathroom. Diverting your brain and decreasing your urge to urinate can do the trick. Individuals can divert their attention by listening to music or watching television, staying warm, sitting or walking around whichever is more comfortable, engaging the brain in doing games or puzzles, talking to someone or reading something.

While we love to pee immediately after the brain signals us, we might not be able to access the bathroom immediately. In such times it is useful to follow the tips given below:

• Crossing the legs while standing compresses the urethra and avoids an immediate need to visit the bathroom
• Passing gas avoids pressure building up inside the bladder
• Start your morning routine by peeing right after waking up to establish a regular urine routine
• Just like you plan things it helps to plan your bathroom breaks too every 2-3 hours irrespective of whether or not your bladder is full. This helps avoiding pressure on the urethra
  
  

Its ok to hold your pee in times of emergency but generally, it is suggested that you pee as soon as you get a signal from the brain. Following healthy bathroom habits is appreciable and if you doubt that you are urinating too often it is better to consult your physician.

---