If there are any number of reasons why you can’t always answer nature’s call on time, you must be aware of the following health risks of holding in your urine.
That was the problem with everything we decided to keep inside. If they stay in your system for too long, you’ll eventually crash or crash. Anger, pain, extra energy, and—even urine! Yes, you read that right.
It is recommended that women who suffer from overactive bladder or in some cases want to strengthen their Kegel muscles remain urinary. However, there’s a terrible downside to this approach – which is why you shouldn’t hold in your pee unless your doctor recommends it.
Check out all the reasons here:
1. You’re basically going against your body’s signals
Urinating is a rather complex process. But ostensibly, it involves bladder nerves that arise when the bladder is half full and send signals to the brain. These signals further create the urge to urinate. Now, if you hold it in, you’re basically defying these signals and not flushing the toxins out of your body through your urine. You see, there’s a reason it’s called “responding to nature’s call.”
2. You don’t have that ability
According to the Kidney and Urology Foundation of America (KUFA), a healthy adult bladder can hold up to two cups of urine at a time.
Now, if you’re not pregnant, don’t have diabetes, and don’t have any underlying health conditions, such as a urinary tract infection or any kidney disease, controlling the amount of urine like this may be manageable for you. But think about the times you drank more than two cups of coffee or half a liter of water in one sitting, or just a tall glass of juice or coconut water. In this case, retaining the urine that forms can make you feel very uncomfortable.
3. Your UTI may eventually get worse
According to the publication in Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journalholding in urine increases the risk of urinary tract infections and may even worsen existing/potential urinary tract infection problems. This is because holding in your urine gives bacteria in your urine more time to multiply in your urethra and cause infection.
4. You may experience urinary incontinence
A study conducted by Harvard Medical School states that holding in your urine often and unnecessarily can lead to weakening of the pelvic muscles. This may further lead to urinary incontinence, where your ability to prevent urine from leaking out may be compromised and therefore, you may leak urine at the slightest movement/cough/sneeze/run etc.
5. It puts your kidneys at risk
According to a study published in the journal Annals of Translational Medicineholding in your urine may lead to the formation of kidney stones—especially in people with a history of this condition. This is because urine contains large amounts of minerals such as calcium oxalate and uric acid, which can lead to stone formation.
That’s not it. If not drained promptly, urine can also return to the kidneys and cause a fatal kidney infection—rare, but possible.
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6. Your bladder may rupture
Another rare but possible consequence of holding in your urine is a ruptured bladder. If your bladder reaches its maximum capacity to hold urine but you still refuse to expel it, you may be facing this fatal problem that can only be solved with emergency surgery.