Pee in the shower? This concerning side effect will make you think twice --[Reported by Umva mag]

Peeing in the shower: you either do, or you don’t. Some think it’s totally normal, for others its a major ick.

If you’re in the pro-weeing camp, you might claim that urinating in the shower can be good for the environment, and even save millions of litres of water each year.

But it turns out that for women, opting for a shower wee can have some damaging side effects.

One doctor has claimed that as well as not being very hygienic, the act of urinating while standing up can cause pelvic floor problems for those with vaginas.

Not only that, but you may begin to associate the sound of running water with the need to pee.

Taking to TikTok, Texas-based obstetrician gynaecologist, Dr Emma Qureshey, said: ‘It is one, not very hygienic, but more important than that, it will destroy your pelvic floor, and also it might create mental associations where you hear water running and all of a sudden you need to run to the bathroom.’

The now-viral video, in which Dr Emma listed the things she’d never do as an OBGYN, has received over 700,000 views and hundreds of comments from people shocked by the claim.

‘Wow you learn something new everyday’, Mari B wrote.

Stealth Queen added: ‘Sometimes I feel like I’m doing everything wrong’.

Red_Bull_56 wrote: ‘Well shoot! You mean to tell me thats why my pelvic floor is done.’

The claim isn’t a new one. In 2021, physical therapist Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas said in her own viral TikTok: ‘If you pee in the shower, or turn on the faucet, or turn on the shower and then sit on the toilet to pee while the shower is running, you’re creating an association in the brain between the sound of running water and having to pee.’

She continued to say that the sound of water and its association with urinating could ’cause leaks’ later on – and BMS Menopause Specialist and GP partner Dr Deepali Misra-Sharp doesn’t disagree.

Speaking to Metro, she says there are ‘some potential concerns’ when urinating around running water or in the shower, but clarifies that it becomes more of an issue when it becomes a ‘regular habit’.

‘Urinating in response to the sound of running water can, over time, create a Pavlovian response — conditioning the bladder to feel the need to urinate whenever water is heard. This can contribute to issues like urinary urgency or leakage, especially for individuals prone to bladder problems,’ she said.

As for how urinating in the shower or standing up impacts females and people with vaginas, she says that ‘occasional urination in the shower is unlikely to cause harm,’ but warns that peeing in a standing position is ‘not ideal’ as it is harder to completely empty your bladder.

Citing one of the few studies on pelvic floor training and ‘the importance of correct posture for optimal bladder function’, she says: ‘When the body is in a relaxed position, the pelvic muscles can work efficiently to ensure complete bladder emptying.’

In turn, if women and vagina owners have poor posture when urinating, like standing, ‘it can strain the pelvic floor muscles and lead to incomplete bladder emptying, which over time may contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary issues such as urgency or leakage.’

Dr Misra-Sharp continues to say that NICE guidelines and other studies on urinary incontinence found that even if you practice pelvic floor exercises like Kegels, poor posture or urinating when the body isn’t fully relaxed, it ‘can counteract these efforts, leading to issues like pelvic organ prolapse or stress incontinence.’

So, it might be best to hold it for the loo next time you’re in the shower and feel the urge to pee.

If you are worried about your pelvic floor health, Dr Misra-Sharp recommends practicing pelvic floor muscle exercises like Kegels.

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