Real reason why you should never go for a 'just in case' pee before leaving the house
You know you're old when you start scrutinizing your bathroom habits...
Health experts have revealed what a 'healthy' wee really looks like and we're probably all guilty of not doing our bladders any favors.
Ah peeing. It's such an annoyingly necessary human function which many of us wish we could've evolved not to need anymore.
Sat at our desks every day, it can be easy to forget when we last went to the toilet, consumed by the screens in front of us. Or when we're about to leave the house or go to sleep, we often pop to the loo 'just in case' - but here's why you need to start paying more attention to your bathroom habits for the sake of your health.
How peeing works and potential issues
You'd think it would be fairly self explanatory how peeing works, but let's dive a bit more into the actual science of it.
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Basically, when you bladder starts to fill with fluids, as it balloons up it sends a signal to the brain telling it it's going to need to be emptied soon.
On one hand, some people ignore this signal - halfway through a meeting or piece of work, it can be easy to find it difficult to tear your focus away and it overpowers your bladder shrieking at you.
On the other hand, some may pop to the loo 'just in case' before going out for the day or before tucking themselves in at night.
Both can be equally damaging, messing with the communication between your bladder and brain.
Your brain can either end up learning to ignore the signals for needing to wee and your bladder end up overstretched - its muscles losing the ability to stretch over time and ending up damaged.
Or you can end up visiting the bathroom much more frequently if you're going 'just in case' and your brain becomes even more sensitive, telling you to wee even if you're not that full of liquid.
But how do you know if you're peeing a healthy amount and for the healthy amount of time? Well, I present to you the '21-second rule'.
The 20-second rule
A group of mechanical engineering students at the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted research into the 'duration of urination' - quite catchy, right?
The team visited a zoo and found nearly all the mammals they saw took an average of 21 seconds to empty their bladder in a near 'constant duration'.
In consideration of the research, nurse practitioner who runs MyConfidentBladder.com, PhD Janis Miller told WellandGood explains you can tell if your pee is healthy by counting and seeing if the stream lasts for around 21 seconds.
If you're a lot short or massively over - you're going to the loo too often or not enough and need to start analyzing your toilet habits more seriously.
Healthline advises: "If you’re peeing up to seven times in 24 hours, that’s typical. Certain factors can cause you to pee more or less on some days, and it isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. However, in some cases, you may need to see a doctor."
Poppy Bilderbeck