Are you suffering from the seemingly constant need to urinate? Do you find that you’re taking trips to the bathroom more frequently than every two hours?

You’ve likely developed the bad habit of forcing too many “just-in-case” wees, that eventually train your bladder to “think” it needs to go when it really has the capacity to hold much more. We’re all familiar with the “just-in-case” trip to the bathroom before you head to the cinema or on another outing. Parents will often encourage children to relieve themselves before embarking on a trip so that they can avoid the hassle of trying to find a toilet later.

The occasional “just-in-case” toilet break isn’t an issue, however, doing it too often will create the constant sensation of needing to pee, and giving in to every urge will only worsen the problem. If you can relate to this problem, then try to resist that first urge, and consider paying your general practitioner a visit, or speaking to a pelvic floor physiotherapist about it.

Your bladder can probably hold more than you think

Those with normal bladders (individuals who haven’t been diagnosed with an overactive or irritable bladder) can hold between 400 to 600 MLS. It should take about two hours for any water you drink to make its way to your bladder.

This means that if you drink a 600 ml bottle of water, it’s reasonable to not have to relieve yourself until a couple of hours later.

What happens if you get into the “just-in-case” habit?

We need the bladder muscle to contract and the muscles around the urethra and pelvic floor to relax to pass urine easily. If there is no real urgency, then this pattern does not take place and it’ll require the muscles to work in a way that they’re not supposed to in order to squeeze the urine out.

The bladder spasm and contracts inappropriately to accomplish the just-in-case relief. Once the bladder gets used to holding only a certain amount before emptying out, it gets increasingly difficult for it to hold more.

The bladder then functions as though it is at capacity when it’s not. The result is a pattern of uncoordinated emptying.

Fortunately, just as people train themselves into the bad habit, they can train themselves out of it by learning to recognize the signs and differentiate between a small urge and an actual need.

Try not to give in to the first sensation. Attempt to resist and see how your body reacts. Of course, it’s important to listen to your body—if ignoring the first urge causes you distress, then talk to your GP or a pelvic floor physiotherapist.