Wellness
Doctor explains why trying to pee “just in case” is actually a really bad thing to do
This actually makes a lot of sense.
Elijah Chan
05.25.22

What’s one of your main precautions when you’re about to go for a long ride?

Bring enough snacks? Keep water and hydration handy? Or maybe, the most common “better pee before you leave”?

TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor
Source:
TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor

But as common as this one sounds, a TikTok video revealed that this is one of those “you-thought-was-correct” kinds of tips. Because apparently, peeing just in case is something we shouldn’t be doing.

A stitch video on TikTok finally laid the score on the issue of peeing just in case.

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas posted a video as a response to TikTok user Sindeyraz. The said TikTok user claimed that people should go to the bathroom whenever they can.

TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor
Source:
TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor

His content is filled with things that “he didn’t learn until his 30s”. Some of these are surprising but the others, much like his claim, can be incorrect.

Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas explained why peeing just in case is wrong.

“Pelvic floor physical therapist here, and I work with a lot of people with overactive bladders, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, the whole nine yards,” Dr. Jeffrey-Thomas began her clip. “And here’s why you shouldn’t go ‘just in case.”‘

TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor
Source:
TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor

Then, she presented an illustration of a person’s bladder.

The said drawing had three lines which stood for the three levels of bladder sensation.

TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor
Source:
TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor

“The first one is just an awareness level that tells you that there’s some urine in the bladder,” she said in her TikTok video. “The second one is the one that tells you to make a plan to use the toilet, and the third is kind of the panic button that says, ‘Get me there right now, I’m about to overflow.’”

So how do these three levels of sensation relate to this particular concern?

According to Dr. Jeffrey-Thompson, when we go to the toilet to pee just in case, our bladder is filled somewhere between the first two levels. So when we go to the bathroom before we actually get the urge to do so, our body remembers these signals.

TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor
Source:
TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor

“If we’re doing this all the time … then our bladder starts getting these data points and says, “OK, maybe we should be sending the signal a little sooner, so let’s shift this line down.” She said in the video.

This means that our bladders “shrink”.

“Now, we’re going to start getting that urge to go a lot sooner than before. Over time, this compresses those three levels together, so the difference between feeling like there’s some urine in your bladder and feeling that panic button like you’re about to pee your pants is going to happen in a much shorter amount of time.” She continued.

TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor
Source:
TikTok Screenshot - @thepelvicdancefloor

“Avoid the “just in case” unless you’re going to be in the car for longer than an hour, once before bed, or before or after sex.”

@thepelvicdancefloor

Reply to @wakeup_to_makeup117 here are the 5 main videos 🥰 @thepelvicdancefloor @thepelvicdancefloor @thepelvicdancefloor @thepelvicdancefloor @thepelvicdancefloor

♬ Lazy Sunday – Official Sound Studio

Other doctors also weighed in on the matter. According to gynecologist Elizabeth Farrell, medical director at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, only go to the bathroom when your body tells you to.

On the internet, everything seems like the truth.

Fortunately, there are real experts who go out of their way and correct the information we’re being fed. Safe to say, we’ll just stick to the tip of not drinking too much water right before a long drive.

@thepelvicdancefloor

I’ll do pelvic pain diagnoses next – that’ll get more challenging!

♬ ALMOST HOME – Mad Adix, Marc Steinmeier

You can learn more about your bladder and other medical concerns in Dr. Jeffrey-Thompson’s TikTok account.

Watch how a doctor debunked an age-old tip about peeing.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

@thepelvicdancefloor

#stitch with @sidneyraz I know it sounds counterintuitive and goes against everything your momma taught you – just out here trying to save your bladder 🤍

♬ original sound – Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas DPT

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