A last little pee before hitting the sack? The all-too-common last little pee that we usually do before leaving a place with toilets or going to bed to avoid waking up in the middle of the night, can be dangerous, according to some doctors.
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On her TikTok account, Sabrina Baxter, a doctor specializing in the perineum, explains the harmful effects of this practice.
Why can forcing yourself to pee be dangerous?
The doctor explains that doing it sporadically won't cause much damage, but it's when you train yourself to do it ritualistically that it might be cause for concern. In her video, she explains:
If you do it often—from time to time—it's not a big deal. But your bladder never fills completely. So it's not using its full capacity. By forcing yourself to take a 'little pee,' you are training your bladder to empty itself when it only holds small volumes. Over time, your body adapts and sends you signals when there is urine available in your bladder. We all need to re-educate our bladder.
How to train your bladder to urinate less often?
Since it never fills up completely, the volume of the bladder ends up shrinking. The result? Every time there is a small amount of urine in the bladder, there is a feeling of urgency. Does this sound familiar? If it does, fear not, it's not too late. You can train your bladder.
Interviewed by Glamour magazine, a urologist confirms the therapist's warning and reminds us that we can rewire our brain to train our bladders to accustom itself to hold in more urine. She says:
There are techniques to train the bladder, but they are most often dedicated to people who suffer from incontinence or pelvic floor problems. They teach them to regain control of their bladder by holding their urine for a specific period of time determined by a doctor. The results are visible after 12 weeks of daily training.
