3 Reasons Why You Should Visit a Wexford Chiropractor

Interested in improving your life and living pain-free and injury-free? You may want to make an appointment at Wexford Chiropractic and Massage. Our specialists are dedicated to relieving the pain and discomfort of their patients. We specialize in spinal adjustments, massage therapy, and spinal decompression therapy. Wexford Chiropractic and Massage is located at 3122 N. Western Ave.

Is It Dangerous to Hold Your Urine?

We hope you enjoy this article written by Amber Tresca that has also been medically reviewed.

Going to the bathroom is a necessity for everyone, but that doesn’t mean a place “to go" is always available. In most cases, holding it for a short time when you feel the urge to go is not going to be harmful. However, holding pee for a long period of time and ignoring the urge to go might increase the risk of certain problems, such as urinary tract infections. For those reasons, it's important to not hold it for any longer than is necessary.

This can be a challenge when there’s not a private or sanitary place to urinate, but emptying the bladder on a regular basis is part of good health and can help avoid discomfort.

How Long Can You Hold Your Pee?

While the human bladder typically holds between 1.5 and 2 cups of fluid,1 the perception of feeling full varies from person to person. How fast the bladder fills depends on a number of factors, and therefore, there’s no hard and fast rule about how long people can go between bathroom trips. In most cases, however, people can go for 3 to 4 hours between bathroom visits.

Of course, this will also vary based on how much and type of liquid a person is drinking; taking in a lot of water over a short period of time or drinking beverages with caffeine might cause a greater urge to pee.

Some people have an issue where they are using the bathroom often, and only actually voiding a little at a time.2 This could be due to a medical condition such as a urinary tract infection, especially if there’s discomfort while urinating. When there are problems going to the bathroom too much or being uncomfortable, it’s important to see a doctor to rule out a disease or condition that could be causing the problem.

For some people, ignoring the urge to urinate for a time could be part of a process of bladder retraining. If there’s no reason found for the frequent urination, a physician might recommend holding the pee to retrain the bladder and reduce bathroom visits. In general, this might include waiting for at least 15 minutes when the urge to pee hits, to see if it’s truly necessary to go right away or if it can wait.

Health Risks of Holding Urine

In most cases, holding in urine for a short period of time until there is a time and place to go is not going to be harmful. However, holding in urine is associated with a small increased risk of urinary tract infections. This is because the urine standing in the bladder can increase the bacteria growth there. Taking in a lot of fluids and voiding them regularly is the best way to avoid this bacteria overgrowth, which may lead to an infection.

When It Is Finally Time to Go

It is important, once it is time to go to the bathroom, to completely empty the bladder. Take it slow and wait an extra minute or so after having the sensation of being “done.” There might still be more urine in the bladder and it’s better to make sure everything is out, otherwise, there will be another bathroom run a few minutes later.

Things That Might Help You Hold Your Pee

For those times when you need to know how to hold your pee for a short period of time, use one or more of these distraction techniques:

1. Move into a comfortable position. Putting pressure on the abdomen and especially the bladder may make the sensation of needing to go even more uncomfortable. Try sitting or standing with legs crossed or pressed together and keeping the back straight in order to reduce pressure on the bladder. Pushing on or leaning against something that compresses the belly may increase the discomfort.

2. Change your temperature. Being too hot or too cold may make some people feel like they have to go to the bathroom. In most cases, being too cold is what increases that feeling of urgency to use the bathroom, so warming up with a blanket may help for a time.

3. Think about the bladder being closed off. To prevent leaking, it may help to imagine that nothing can come down the urethra. Squeezing the muscles in that area may help avoid any urine leaking out. Practicing isolating these muscles and squeezing them when not in urgent need of a bathroom can help in the longer term when dealing with the need to go to the bathroom without a toilet readily available.

4. Stay still. Bouncing, jiggling, jumping, or shaking could increase the sensation of having to go to the bathroom and may even cause leakage for some people. Decreasing movement could help reduce the feeling of a full bladder.

5. Meditation or visualization. Practicing meditation, visualization, or deep breathing may help in distracting from the discomfort of a full bladder for a short time.

6. Mental distractions.3 Talking to someone, playing a game, or reading might all help in taking the mind off the feeling of having a full bladder.

Things That Won’t Help

Things that can make it harder to hold your urine include:

1. Drinking more. If the bladder is already full and there’s nowhere to go, drinking even more fluid is only going to make the problem worse.

2. Letting out a little pee. Trying to pee only a little likely won’t work and might backfire because once the stream starts it’s difficult to stop it. Don’t start peeing until the bladder can be fully emptied.

3. Moving around. Bouncing, jiggling, jumping, or shaking could increase the sensation of having to go to the bathroom. Staying still could help reduce the feeling of a full bladder.

4. Caffeine and alcohol. Drinks that contain caffeine can also irritate the bladder and increase the urge to go to the bathroom, so those should be avoided.4

5. Eating spicy, acidic foods. These can irritate your bladder, as can drinking alcohol.

6. Coughing, sneezing, and laughing. When the bladder is full, a sneeze or a laugh could make the situation more uncomfortable or even cause some leaking.

7. Swimming or bathing. Warm water or going into a pool could increase the sensation of needing to use a toilet and it might be more difficult to hold in the urine.

The Pelvic Floor and Kegel Exercises

An important aspect of good bladder health is the strength of the pelvic floor.5 The muscles in the pelvic floor are important in reducing symptoms of incontinence and in being able to go longer between trips to the bathroom. Learning how to isolate those muscles and exercise them to make them stronger can be an important part of bladder retraining.

The physicians that might be involved in treating women with pelvic floor disorders are urogynecologists and urologists. Bladder retraining, pelvic floor exercises, biofeedback, and medication might all be used to help treat frequent urination.

Changes in Bladder Function With Age

There’s a perception that bladder problems are inevitable as people age, but this is not the case. While there are some small changes in bladder function that come with aging, frequent urination, pain when urinating, and leaking urine are not typical. In some cases, making some adjustments to bladder habits can help compensate for the changes that occur in bladder health with age. However, extreme discomfort or difficulty in urinating should be discussed with a physician to make sure there’s not a more serious condition that’s causing the symptoms.

A Word From Verywell

While holding in urine isn’t necessarily a health risk, it’s best to have healthy bladder habits and to consider bathroom accessibility when drinking fluids. Staying hydrated is important, but being uncomfortable because there’s no bathroom in sight is also a consideration when taking in fluids during the day.

For those who find that the bladder feels really full even though there’s not much in it, it could be time to seek help to make sure there’s not an underlying medical condition. For some, retraining the bladder by going less or doing some pelvic floor exercises may help in being able to go longer between bathroom breaks.

Combine Good Taste and Good Nutrition

Make plants the main attraction

A substantial amount of research shows that people who eat a plant-based diet — mainly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes — live longer and enjoy better health than people whose diets consist mainly of animal-based foods like meat.

Many cultures developed their cuisines around plant foods out of necessity. Traditionally, animal protein was expensive, so limited quantities were available. Mediterranean, Latin American, and Asian cultures are known for pairing healthy plant foods with lean protein (fish, chicken) and monounsaturated fat (olive oils, nuts).

These diets can have substantial health benefits. For example, a Mediterranean-style diet has been found responsible for:

• longer life expectancy

• reduced heart disease

• relief from rheumatoid arthritis

• lower rates of Parkinson's disease

• lower rates of Alzheimer's disease

Here are three tips to get creative with your plant-based meals:

1. Follow the motto "If it grows together, it goes together." For example, try the Spanish sauce called romesco over grilled vegetables. It's made from roasted red peppers, olive oil, and nuts.

2. Make olive oil really shine by matching a bold olive oil, such as a Tuscan varietal, with other bold flavors, such as rosemary and pine nuts.

3. Complement a milder olive oil, such as a French varietal, with subtly flavored foods.

Eat locally

Locally grown foods may be fresher and have higher nutrient content. Since they spend less time being shipped and handled, they may look and taste better.

Spice it up

Despite the lack of research on their health benefits, spices, herbs, and aromatics (any plant, herb, or spice that adds lively scent to a beverage or food) make other plant foods mouth-watering treats. And they are definitely a healthier option than piling on the salt. Unlike salt, spices have not been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke.

Here are four ways to ensure the quality and flavor of your spices:

1. Buy them in small quantities and in their whole form to ensure freshness.

2. Store them in a cool, dry space.

3. Grind them right before use.

4. Toast them dry in a hot skillet or stir-fry them in oil over medium-high heat (both for just 10-20 seconds).

Get excited about whole grains

Rich in fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium, whole grains (such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, or brown rice) are far better nutritionally than refined grains (such as white bread or white rice). And they make you feel fuller longer. Because the starch inside of them is absorbed more slowly, they're less likely than refined grains to quickly be stored as fat. Regular consumption of whole grains also reduces the risk of:

• diabetes

• cancer

• heart disease

• stroke

• diet-related depression (usually associated with very low-carbohydrate diets)

Here are five ways to incorporate different types of whole grains into your diet:

1. Use whole-grain bread, pasta, and brown or wild rice.

2. Try grains from around the world such as teff, spelt, farro, kamut, and amaranth.

3. Blend whole grains with colorful vegetables, spices, and olive oil.

4. Eat whole-grain cold or hot cereals, adding fruit, low-fat milk, or nuts.

5. Season whole grains with sweet spices like nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and masala spice.

Go a little nuts

In a large trial of men and women, eating nuts five times a week or more lowered diabetes risk by 27%. In another large study, women who ate nuts just about every day lowered their risk of heart disease by 32%.

However, since a one-ounce portion of nuts can pack 160 calories or more, eat them in moderation to help prevent weight gain. Two tasty suggestions: toasted pine nuts sprinkled over whole-grain pasta, or almonds on cereal.

Following the above advice will not only make your meals nutritious, but will also allow you to enjoy some of the most delicious food you've ever eaten.