An expert is telling people not to go to the bathroom before leaving the house “just in case.”
The Bladder and Bowel Community says that the average person goes to the bathroom to urinate between six and seven times a day.
Depending on what’s going on in their daily lives, people may go more often than usual.
You might be surprised to find out that this isn’t a good idea, even though it might seem like one.
You may be teaching your bladder a “terrible habit” that will ultimately harm you.
After giving the facts, an expert is now going viral, and hopefully, you won’t go to the bathroom again, “just in case.”
Tiffany Sequeira, a physiotherapist who specializes in pelvic health, says that you shouldn’t go to the bathroom when you don’t need to.
She explains:
It’s actually a really bad habit for your bladder.
Going for a wee when you don’t feel the immediate need to do so strains your bladder to empty when it isn’t actually full yet.
It seems that if you do this often, you could be mixing up the signals between your bladder and brain without meaning to.
Sequeira says that when your bladder gets full, your brain gets a message when urine presses against the wall of your bladder.
So basically, if it’s not pushed up against the wall, you’re sending mixed signals.
Sequeira continues:
Going on that first signal to pass urine – or even worse going when you don’t feel the urge to pass urine ‘just in case’ – can result in a bladder signalling dysfunction.
Over time your bladder becomes accustomed to passing urine at a lower capacity than normal resulting in a ‘weak bladder’, as some refer to.
But you may not be able to stop yourself from going to the bathroom a lot.
In this case, Sequeira suggests that you add some pelvic floor exercises to your routine, which will help your bladder and bowel.
If you try to stop urinating on the toilet, you will be able to feel your pelvic floor muscles.
But you shouldn’t do this often because it can be bad for you.
On the NHS website, it says to sit comfortably and squeeze the pelvic floor muscles 10 to 15 times.
You don’t have to hold your breath or tense the muscles in your stomach, bottom, or thighs.
If you wish to try this, do not overdo it, and each week, squeeze a few times more.
