Sometimes nature calls to you while you’re taking a shower. You don’t want to interrupt your self-cleaning routine to go to the bathroom, so it’s easy enough to just relieve yourself while the shower is running. After all, it will go down the drain anyway, saving you the water you use to flush the toilet.
But we may not realize the surprising effects that peeing in the shower can have on our bodies. And one of TikTok’s doctors is imploring us to break this useful but problematic habit.
According to Dr. Teresa Irwin, peeing in the shower trains your brain to empty your bladder every time you hear the sound of running water.
The urologist took to TikTok to share with viewers how peeing in the shower can cause serious problems over time.
Dr. Ilywin compares Pavlov’s dog experiment habits, Russian psychologist who used his dogs to test behavioral theories and conditioning.
In an experiment, Pavlov rang a bell every time he fed his dog. After a while, he started ringing the bell to call the dog without feeding it. Pavlov noticed that the dogs had the same reaction every time they heard the bell, coming towards him with saliva dripping from their mouths in anticipation of food. They were conditioned to have the same response to the sound of the bell and associated it with getting food.
Dr. Irwin says a similar phenomenon occurs in our brains when we regularly pee in the shower.
She mentions that peeing while standing up helps you empty your bladder correctly (women in particular find it easier to pee in the shower rather than the toilet), but peeing in the shower rather than the toilet You shouldn’t get into the habit of doing this. The more often you pee in the shower, the more likely your bladder will start to associate the sound of running water with the urge to pee.
“So whenever you wash your hands, take a shower, wash the dishes, or any time the water is running, your bladder ‘slobbers’ to pee,” Dr. Irwin explains. “So you shouldn’t pee in the shower.”
Dr. Irwin’s claims are echoed by Alicia Jeffrey Thomas, a certified pelvic floor physical therapist.
“When you pee in the shower, turn on the faucet, turn on the shower, sit on the toilet while the water is running, and pee, your brain associates the sound of running water with the idea of having to pee. ,” she says.
Eventually, this problem can lead to pelvic floor weakness and bladder leakage.
Dr. Jeffrey Thomas also points out that people with female anatomy are not biologically designed to urinate standing up because their pelvic floor cannot relax when they urinate standing up. They also argue that it is not a good idea to potentially burden people by testing.
She recommends trying to pee before getting in the shower and ignoring the urge to go while you’re in the shower.
Dr. Jeffrey Thomas further explained We told BuzzFeed how peeing in the shower can affect your pelvic floor function.
“The bladder relies on both signals from the bladder wall, which stretches when the bladder is full, and signals from the brain, which tell it when to contract to urinate,” she explains. Other sounds of running water (such as turning on a faucet to wash hands or dishes) or being in a body of water. ”
Dr. Jeffrey Thomas says, “For some people, this may just be an annoyance, but for those with some type of pelvic floor dysfunction, this can be a sign of urge incontinence (or having an urge to use urine).” “It can sometimes contribute to urine leakage.” toilet). ”
Peeing in the shower can also cause pelvic floor weakness and bladder incontinence.
Over time, your pelvic floor muscles become weaker, making it harder to hold your urine before going to the bathroom. Combined with the condition of protecting oneself from the sound of running water, this can cause embarrassment and discomfort in public.
To avoid wetting your pants before going to the bathroom, Dr. Jeffrey Thomas suggests several ways you can improve pelvic floor function and bladder control. People, especially women, are advised to drastically change their shower habits if they feel the urge to urinate when they hear the sound of running water.
Dr. Jeffrey Thomas says, “You can avoid this and relax your pelvic floor by squatting deep to the ground during the shower. You’re then continuing the association between water and pee.” I am.
Peeing in the shower may seem like a common habit, but 70% of people are guiltyWe probably wouldn’t believe that our bodies can have such a detrimental and lasting effect on our pelvic muscles in just a few seconds.
Fortunately, if you constantly feel the urge to urinate when you hear running water and have trouble controlling your bladder, there are options you can take to improve both.
pelvic floor therapy Strengthens the muscles that support the bladder, urethra, and other pelvic organs. A licensed pelvic floor therapist will work with you to develop a personalized plan and exercises that best meet your goals. Exercises may include Kegel exercises, electrical stimulation of the pelvic muscles, and biofeedback.
So the next time you’re in the shower and have the urge to relieve yourself on the floor, go the extra mile and go outside to go to the bathroom. Your brain, pelvic muscles, and underwear will thank you later.
Megan Quinn is a writer for YourTango, covering entertainment and news, self, love and relationships.