Holding in your pee? 3 reasons why you should stop

So you rushed out of work after drinking an entire S’well bottle of water and decided to get on the subway even though you kind of have to pee. You’re only a hop, skip and a jump away from home so you thought you could hold it in right? Wrong! The subway’s running at “slow speeds” and now your commute is even longer. I know we’ve all been here before but is it safe to ignore our pee all the time? Short answer: not really! Here are some possible consequences of consistently holding in your pee:

You can contract a UTI

Constantly holding in your pee for extended periods of time can cause bacteria to multiply in your bladder— enter, UTI. Typical symptoms are: constantly feeling the urge to pee, pain or burning while you pee and pain in the pelvis.

You can fuck up your pelvic floor

One of the most important muscles in your pelvic floor is the ureteral sphincter. This bad boy keeps the floodgates of your urethra closed. When this muscle gets weakened, the floodgates open and you can end up pissing yourself a little bit (or a lot). But keep doing your Kegels and you’ll be golden!

The worst case scenario: kidney stones

Kidney stones form when minerals like uric acid and calcium oxalate build up so much to the point that they form into stones that sit inside your bladder. This typically happens when your urine is highly concentrated with these minerals. But for those of you who drink plenty of water throughout the day, you should be in the clear. Literally.

Keep your bladder healthy by filling it with loads of water and then flushing it out. When you feel that urge, it doesn’t mean you have to run to the bathroom immediately, just be conscious about how long you’re holding it in for.