Is it Bad to Hold Your Pee?

I tend to get this questions a lot in the clinic. Should we hold our pee, or should we urgently run to the bathroom as soon as we feel the urge to pee?

The answer, like many things, lies somewhere in the middle.

We shouldn’t hold our urine for hours and hours as this can cause more pressure in the bladder and more pressure on the pelvic floor, leading to more issues of pelvic floor dysfunction such as incontinence or pelvic pain.

We also, shouldn’t always run to the bathroom the moment we feel the urge to pee. Because, if we are doing this we can possibly empty the bladder before it is full. Then we are training the bladder to empty when it is only 1/4 or 1/2 way full. Which can also lead to issues of increased urinary urgency and frequency.

Normal voiding is every 2-4 hours. So keeping this in mind is important. It also depends on how much water you drank. If you have drank 40oz of water for example, in an hour; then you are probably going to need to go within the hour. Also if you are consuming bladder irritants, which are things like; caffeine, alchohol, and citrus. This can also trigger the bladder and make you feel the urge to pee more often.

We don’t want to completely suppress the urge to pee, but I recommend taking a few breaths to relax the pelvic floor when you feel the first urge to pee. Then wait about 5-10 minutes and make your way to the bathroom. This will ensure that you are emptying a full bladder and not rushing or creating urgency.

If you notice issues with urinary urgency or frequency…go see a pelvic floor physical therapist!