Holding In Your Pee May Be Handy, But Here’s All The Damage It Can Do!

After years of practice, you now excel at the “I gotta go pee” dance! Yup, all of us have had to hold it in at some point or the other, but for some of us it becomes a habit. This is especially true for women, who get used to holding it in, as unlike the typical Indian male, they do not view the world around as a public urinal.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to this civic sense. Most men and women who fight the urge to pee in public often end up holding it in on a regular basis, even when unnecessary. But what most of us never think about is whether this habit can cause any health problems.


What Are The Health Risks Of Holding In Your Pee?

“Holding in your pee can cause a urinary tract infection, kidney stones, & even permanent kidney damage”

The average bladder can hold about half a liter of liquid, but holding in your urine on a regular basis can cause your bladder to stretch. There is a feedback mechanism in your bladder that sends the signal to your brain to let you know that you need to use the loo; but when your bladder is stretched, it can hold more urine and this can interfere with the signal to pee. Here are some of the dangers of holding in your pee.

Kidney Damage:

Bacteria can enter your bladder through the urethra and the longer you hold in your urine, the more time they get to multiply. These bacteria can then travel to your kidneys, where they can cause kidney infections that can have life-threatening consequences.

Kidney Stones:

Holding urine in your bladder for too long can cause minerals that are naturally in your urine to stick together and crystalize to form kidney stones. Kidney stones are more common in men than in women and so men who hold in their pee have a high risk of developing kidney stones. If left untreated, kidney stones can cause abscess formation and it can even diminish renal function.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs):

Putting off going to the loo increases your risk of getting a UTI. Women are more prone to UTIs than guys and studies show that 1 out of every 5 women will get a UTI at some point in their life. Urinary tract infections can also become recurrent in nature and so the problem can persist for months or even years and it can wreak havoc on your reproductive system.


How Long Is It Okay to Hold It?

“You can hold in your pee for 3-6 hours, depending on how much water you’ve consumed”
So does this mean that you need to make a dash for the nearest loo every single time you feel like peeing? Definitely not! Depending on how much water you’ve had, you can wait for anywhere from 3-6 hours to use the loo. The average person pees 6-8 times a day, although this may increase to 10 times or more if your fluid intake is high.

Our Take:

While you should not hold in your pee for too long, you also shouldn’t decrease your fluid intake simply because you’re busy and don’t want to take a bathroom break – this will cause dehydration and a whole lot of other health problems. While some people believe that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day, this is not a hard and fast rule. Instead, the color of your urine is the best indicator as to whether you are consuming enough fluids. So, drink up or you’ll be in a wee bit of trouble!