Anyone can have a bad day, one of those in which we put off going to the bathroom because we don’t have time, because we even forget or because we don’t have a bathroom available at that moment in which we can urinate. Although in Spain it is rare for this to happen, since in a moment of need there will surely be a bar nearby where we can urinate if we need to, not everyone has the same ease of doing it in a public bathroom.
This is something that can happen to anyone, something specific that we may not even realize until the urge to go to the bathroom is very intense. Something that can happen to us at a certain moment, but that should never become the norm because holding back the urge to go to the bathroom can have undesirable consequences for our healthas urologist Cristina Barrera reveals on her Instagram account.
The danger of holding back the urge to go to the bathroom
Social networks are very well known for all the time they make us waste and for the many hours that we waste simply watching curious videos or that catch our attention, but if we know how to use them they can also be a way of learning, because they are a dissemination method that many experts have wanted to take advantage of. It is the case of the urologist Cristina Barrerawho shares his professional knowledge through his Instagram account.
In one of his publications he explains the reasons why it is not advisable to hold urine frequently when there is no need. Throughout life we ​​learn that there is a time for everything, at school they give us permission to go to the bathroom or we wait for the right moment to do so and there are many adults who follow the same pattern in their lives, putting off going to the bathroom for no real reason beyond finishing what they are doing because they feel they can’t interrupt it, for example.
Postponing the time to urinate and doing it habitually can have negative consequences for your health. “When your bladder reaches approximately 60% of its capacity, your nervous system tells you to empty it”explains the expert. “Ignoring this signal occasionally does not pose a risk to your urological health, but doing it frequently does.”
One of the first problems we encounter is that a urine infectionbecause it is the ideal environment for bacterial growth. However, the most serious effect is that this habit can affect the bladder muscle, the detrusor, causing it to lose its function.
“If you have a constantly distended bladder, this muscle can lose its ability to contract appropriately, preventing your bladder from emptying completely. This in severe cases can lead to the need for probe regularly to empty the bladder.
The most common urological diseases
One of the most frequent is urinary infection, specifically cystitis, which is an inflammation of the bladder that is caused by the presence of bacteria that thrive on the walls of the urethra and bladder. This condition is more common in women and the main symptoms are the constant need to urinate, and feeling a burning sensation when doing so. Another symptom is that the urine comes out in small quantities, with a cloudy color and a strong odor, blood may even appear in it. You may also feel pain around the pelvic bone and sometimes fever.
In men it is more common prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland. It can be caused by bacterial infections or from conditions in the urethra or prostate, such as phimosis and injuries to the perineum. The most common symptoms are a burning sensation when urinating, as well as the frequent need to go to the bathroom, cloudy or bloody urine, pain during ejaculation, fever, chills and generalized muscle pain, among others.
Other urological diseases Common are kidney stones or kidney stones, urinary incontinence or kidney failure. All of them require diagnosis and treatment by health professionals, so if you have discomfort that fits with the most common symptoms, it is best to go to a specialist.
References
Cystitis – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic. (sf). https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371306