Dangers of Holding Your Pee!

27 January 2016

Dangers of Holding Your Pee!

One of the things we at Incontinence UK have watched this week is the SciShow. A recent show was all about the dangers of holding your pee in which was both fascinating and enlightening. Did you know that the adult bladder can hold as much as half a litre (2 cups) of pee before you feel the need to go?  Your body knows how much is in there because your bladder wall is filled with tiny receptors that send a message to your brain when the bladder reaches capacity.  But what exactly are we doing to our body is we hold off going to the loo and hold all that pee in? What came to light is that if you make a habit of holding in your pee for ages, you are subjecting yourself to pretty serious long-term effects, including a higher risk of infection. Constantly holding in your pee can weaken your bladder muscles, which could lead to urinary retention - the dreaded condition that prevents you from being able to fully empty your bladder when you pee, which means you feel like peeing a lot. Holding in large amounts of urine for an extended period of time also exposes your body to potentially harmful bacteria, which can increase your chances of getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) or bladder infection. Do take a look a look at the SciShow video for more information on the dangers of holding in your pee. Here at Incontinence UK we offer a vast amount of information on managing your incontinence. Take a look at our factsheet on managing your incontinence. Best Wishes Incontinence UK Team www.incontinenceuk.co.uk