Why Is It Harmful To Hold The Urge To Urinate?
The desire to go to the bathroom is a biological necessity that all human beings have when the body is ready to eliminate waste. So putting up with the urge to urinate is not good for the body, just as it is not good to endure thirst or hunger.
In the case of urine, a signal occurs when the bladder is already full and needs to be emptied. In fact, this organ is in charge of storing the liquid sent by the kidneys, the urine, for its subsequent expulsion through the urethra.
Due to the discomfort of using someone else’s bathroom, not interrupting a meeting or because there is no bathroom nearby, many people prefer to hold the urge to urinate up to three and four hours in a row, waiting to find the most opportune moment to do so.
However, what most do not know is that the habit of retaining it for so long leads to serious side effects that can manifest immediately or later.
1. Holding the urge to urinate causes a widening of the bladder
The bladder has a storage capacity of between 150 and 220 milliliters of urine, depending on the person.
Taking into account that a glass of water provides more or less 200 or 250 milliliters of liquid, added to that provided by other foods, the bladder has to work all day to be able to empty in time.
The problem is that by not responding to the desire to urinate, the liquids overload this organ and expand its walls to be able to be stored.
The result? The bladder begins to widen and in the medium and long term it can have other health consequences, such as some types of infections, according to this study.
2. Recurrent infections
Based on this study, it can be said that acidic substances and ammonia are eliminated through the urine which, when retained, can little by little damage the walls of the urinary tract and bladder.
This weakening increases the risk of suffering from various types of infections, due to the ease for microorganisms to enter and proliferate in the system.
It should also be considered that through urination the process of elimination of bacteria that reach the bladder and urethra takes place, so retaining this fluid gives them more time to develop.
In this sense, cystitis becomes one of the most common consequences, especially in the female population. This infection is the result of inflammation of the bladder walls and bacterial attack.
3. Kidney stones
Kidney stones can develop from multiple causes. One of them is the simple fact of containing urine, due to the substances that crystallize in the kidney because they are not eliminated in time.
Through urination , a balance of the body’s minerals is achieved, which helps maintain good energy and excellent kidney function.
By containing the liquid for a long time, the kidneys begin to form small stones with calcium, phosphate, ammonium and magnesium, which accumulate to form the famous kidney stones.
To avoid this reaction, it is best to increase water consumption and attend to the desire of the body in time when the bladder reaches its maximum capacity.
4. Does holding the urge to urinate produce vesicoureteral reflux?
We must be very careful with this condition, as it can lead to other more serious health consequences. Vesicoureteral reflux occurs due to an infection or pressure on the ureter caused by another organ.
Although there is no scientific evidence that can confirm this, we can find research that talks about the causes of vesicoureteral reflux, such as this information by Mayo Clinic experts , where they explain that vesicoureteral reflux can occur in two forms: primary and secondary.
On the one hand, this research shows that primary causes are most often related to a defect that is present before birth (congenital).
On the other hand, the cause of secondary is due to the inability of the bladder to empty adequately, either due to an obstruction, a failure of the bladder muscle, or damage to the nerves that control normal emptying of the bladder. the bladder.
This situation leads to urine backing up abnormally from the bladder to the kidneys. The result is more serious infections, urinary tract scarring, and even liver damage when not treated properly.
5. Chills and pelvic pain
Urine retention also involves a buildup of fluids and toxins in the bladder, resulting in an uncomfortable chills and, later, pelvic pain of varying intensity.
The belly may appear more swollen and other symptoms such as fatigue or lightheadedness are likely to occur.
It is better not to hold back!
So, although it seems harmless to endure the urge to go to the bathroom for a few hours, the truth is that it involves serious consequences that should always be considered.
It is important to learn to attend to the signals sent by the body in time to avoid dangerous alterations in health.
