Is holding the pee really bad for your health?

Who has never had to hold the pee longer than desired, such as in a test, at the movies, in a meeting, a long trip or even in the bathroom queue at the club? But how bad is it for your health to fight against nature - and your bladder - and put off that magical moment of relief as much as possible?

According to Rachel Nussbaum of The Greatist portal, to answer this question, we first need to understand how the bladder works. According to him, among the many structures that make up our body, we have organs and muscles. While organs are born with their specific functions, many muscles need to be "trained" to function properly.

The bladder, in turn, is a kind of hybrid, since it is an organ and is composed of three layers of tissues, one of them muscular. So that's why when we are born, we don't know how to use it, but we learn to control it over time. What's more, the bladder is very flexible and capable of holding a large amount of pee - and the more urine inside it, the more it will distend.

Safe!

As Rachel explained, there are no major risks associated with holding the pee, as long as this is not very common. On the other hand, when the thing becomes a habit, the elastic tissue that makes up the organ can be damaged and replaced with fibrous tissue - similar to a scar.

This can lead to a number of complications - some serious ones - such as kidney damage, urinary retention, and increased propensity for urinary tract infections. So when you feel the urge, don't wait for it to tighten. Instead of holding the pee, go to the bathroom!

Frequency

How do you know if you go too - or too little - to the toilet? According to the staff of The Bladder & Bowel Foundation, the frequency with which people urinate varies from one individual to another, but usually within 24 hours, healthy adults will be between 4 and 10 trips to the bathroom.

In addition, it is noteworthy that the frequency depends on other factors, such as the amount of fluids each person consumes per day, the age, the degree of physical activity and whether the person takes any medication - such as diuretics or pressure controllers. However, if you notice any variation in your urinary frequency, look for a specialist!

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You can be careful not to risk getting cramped during travel, going to the movies or job interviews. To do so, avoid consuming alcoholic beverages - they are diuretics - as well as anyone containing caffeine in their composition.

This substance may affect some receptors in the bladder, causing it to contract more often, even when the volume of urine is not very large. Oh, and avoid the sound of running water! According to Rachel, no one can explain very well why, but this kind of noise can really arouse the urge to pee.

* Posted on 12/04/2015