We have heard stories and opinions on holding once pee. In this article let us go over facts on what could be the possible outcome when you hold your pee.
A bladder can hold enough urine:
A healthy adult bladder can hold up to sixteen (16) ounces, or two (2) cups, of urine. This is great news if you’ve only had one cup of coffee, but not so much if you find yourself on cup number three with no restroom in sight.
The bladder capacity for children under the age of two (2) is about four (4) ounces. For children older than two (2), the capacity can be found by dividing their age by (2), then adding (6). For example, an 8-year-old child can typically hold 10 ounces of urine.
How long can you hold your pee?
For individuals with a healthy urinary system holding once pee is not dangerous at all. There may be a feeling of uncomfortability though if you hold it after two (2) cups of urine. One with overactive bladder may consider bladder training to have a specific convenient urination schedule. How long we can hold the pee, it only varies from person to person.
Instances that holding pee becomes dangerous:
These following conditions can trigger kidney disease or infections if holding urine is done at a certain length of time:
Prostate Enlargement
Neurogenic Bladder
Kidney Disorders
Urinary Retention
Women who are pregnant are already at an increased risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs). If you’re pregnant, holding your pee can further increase this risk.
Are there any dangers when you hold your pee?
Aside from possibly wetting your pants from holding your pee for too long the dangers of holding the pee is cumulative. If you hold your pee once for 6-8 hours because you are out for a long trip it would not hurt you, but if you have been doing this habit for a number of times in your lifetime that is when it starts to develop complications.
Let us go over the possible dangers when holding your pee frequently:
If you don’t empty your bladder often enough, or go a couple of days without emptying it all the way, it can result in a urinary tract infection (UTI).
If you hold your pee as a matter of habit, your bladder can start to atrophy. Over time, you may develop incontinence.
When you hold your pee for 10 hours or more, you may develop urinary retention, meaning the muscles in your bladder can’t relax and let you relieve yourself, even when you want to.
In very rare cases, holding your pee can cause your bladder to burst.
What happens to your body when you hold your pee?
When you feel the urge to empty your bladder, the reason behind it isn’t as simple as your bladder filling up with liquid. It’s actually a pretty complex process involving many muscles, organs, and nerves that work together to tell you that it’s time to go.
When your bladder is about half full, it activates the nerves in your bladder. These nerves signal your brain to give you the urge to urinate. The brain then signals the bladder to hold on until it’s time. Holding your pee involves consciously fighting this signal to urinate.
These signals will differ from person to person. They also vary according to your age, how much liquid your bladder contains, and what time of day it is. For example, these signals decrease at night — that way you can get a full night’s rest instead of running to the restroom every few hours!
If these signals pick up, it may be the result of an underlying medical condition. Some people may develop an overactive bladder or have a bladder that’s triggered by stress.
For some women, the urge to urinate more frequently can increase after having children. This results from changes that occur during childbirth, including weakened muscles and nerve stimulation.
How frequent should you pee in a day?
Normal urination depends on the person. It varies from person to person. Depends on the age, activities and water intake.
Infants and children have smaller bladders, so they need to empty their bladders more often. Infants typically produce six to eight wet diapers a day, but can urinate much more than that.
Toddlers may seem like they go even more, especially during toilet training, when they may need to empty their bladders 10 or more times.
Once you’re an adult, visiting the bathroom to pee six to seven times per day is considered average. Going as few as 4 times and as many as 10 times is still within the scope of what’s considered normal.
Conclusions:
Holding once pee can be acceptable if done rarely. Our bladder is designed to hold enough pee depending on our age and condition. It is important though to remember that this should not be done frequently to avoid infections and complications. Most common result if you keep on holding your pee is Urinary Tract Infection(UTI).
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