The Dangers of Holding in Your Pee

There are quite a few downsides to holding in your pee, and bursting is one of them!

Have you ever wanted to pee really badly but couldn’t as there was nowhere to go? Going to the bathroom to take a leak is a necessity for everyone and a fundamental part of our human life.

It’s healthy to keep using the bathroom throughout the day to keep toxins and harmful elements out. However, even though a bathroom isn’t always around the corner, if you do choose to hold it in, there could be some pretty dire consequences you could potentially have to face.

Why You Should Never Hold in Your Pee

One of the most terrifying consequences of holding in your pee could be the risk of having your bladder burst. If your bladder does explode, it would leak all of its contents into the abdomen. This could be fatal through a condition called ‘Peritonitis‘. Though this is very rare and usually only results from trauma.

Holding in urine could also result in a leaking bladder! Your outer sphincter muscles are essentially the doorkeepers of the bladder. They are in control when you’re emptying your bladder and determine how much liquid goes out when you urinate.

If you hold in pee too frequently, you end up stretching your muscles, and over time, your sphincter muscles can become loose. A lazy sphincter translates to a leaking bladder. Also, conversely, the sphincter muscles could have trouble relaxing, leaving you unable to release the bladder’s contents when desired.

Surprisingly, stretching is another bad thing that can happen to your bladder if you hold in urine too often. Not peeing often enough can cause your bladder to stretch. When liquid fills up in the bladder, consuming additional water could cause your bladder’s muscles and membranes to stretch. This could cause difficulty in urinating later on.

Holding in your pee can also result in bladder pain syndrome. As the name suggests, this is a very painful condition that causes inflammation and pain in the bladder. People suffering from this tend to pee more often, but in fewer volumes compared to most people. Unfortunately, there is presently no remedy for this syndrome. But you can avoid holding in your pee too often or too long to preserve bladder health. 

Be sure to let us know the longest time you’ve managed to hold in your pee, and why!