Health
PT Health Watch: Why regularly holding your urine could harm your bladder, kidneys
Many people have, at one time or another, ignored the urge to urinate during long meetings, while travelling, standing in queues, or when toilet facilities are unavailable.
While occasional delays may not pose serious health risks, medical experts warn that frequently holding urine for prolonged periods can affect the urinary system and lead to health complications.
The urinary system comprises the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Its primary function is to filter waste products and excess fluids from the blood and remove them from the body through urination.
Experts say most adults can safely hold urine for about three to five hours, although it is advisable to empty the bladder once the urge arises.
Urine is produced by the kidneys as they filter waste and excess water from the bloodstream before it is temporarily stored in the bladder.
What happens when you hold urine?
The bladder is a stretchable muscular organ that expands as it fills with urine. As the bladder fills, nerve signals are sent to the brain, creating the urge to urinate. The bladder then stores the urine until a person is ready to use the toilet.
However, experts say repeatedly ignoring this urge can place stress on the urinary system and create conditions that encourage bacterial growth, increasing the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Speaking with PT HEALTH WATCH, Sekeenah Odunaye-Badmus, a consultant family physician, said habitual urine retention could weaken the bladder muscles over time and affect normal urinary function.
“Habitual holding of urine over a long period of time can weaken the muscles of the bladder, which can lead to incontinence,” she said.
She explained that prolonged urine retention could also result in sediment build-up in the bladder, increasing the risk of kidney stone formation.
“This can also lead to sedimentation of urine, which can, over time, lead to the formation of kidney stones,” she added.
Ms Odunaye-Badmus further explained that the bladder is connected to the ureters and kidneys, noting that excessive urine retention may sometimes cause a backflow of urine to the upper urinary tract when the bladder becomes overly full.
According to her, repeatedly ignoring the urge to urinate may also reduce the bladder’s sensitivity to fullness signals, making it harder for some individuals to recognise when they need to use the toilet.
Common symptoms
Health experts say some symptoms may indicate complications arising from poor bladder habits.
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These include pain or a burning sensation during urination, lower abdominal or pelvic pain, frequent feelings of incomplete bladder emptying, sudden and intense urges to urinate, and involuntary urine leakage, also known as incontinence.
Ms Odunaye-Badmus therefore advised people not to make a habit of delaying urination, urging them to use the restroom whenever they feel the urge.
According to her, consistently waiting until urination becomes painful may increase the risk of complications affecting the bladder and urinary tract.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the risk level of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to “very high” nationally as suspected cases approach 750, with the disease already spreading across borders into Uganda.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus announced the updated assessment on Friday during a Member State information session on the Ebola outbreak and a separate hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius.
According to the WHO, DRC has recorded 82 confirmed Ebola cases so far.
However, the agency said the outbreak is likely far larger, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths already reported.
“In Uganda, two cases have been confirmed in people who travelled from DRC, with one death,” Mr Ghebreyesus said.
Mr Ghebreyesus noted that the organisation previously assessed the outbreak risk as high nationally and regionally, and low globally, but has now revised it to “very high” at the national level, “high” regionally and “low” globally.
No approved vaccines
WHO said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, unlike previous outbreaks driven by the Zaire strain.
The agency explained that there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo virus, making containment more difficult.
WHO also noted that commonly used Ebola diagnostic tests designed for the Zaire strain do not detect the Bundibugyo strain effectively, contributing to delays in identifying the outbreak.
“There have only been two previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo, in Uganda in 2007 and DRC in 2012,” Mr Ghebreyesus said.
Conflict worsening outbreak
The organisation warned that insecurity in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu is further complicating response efforts.
According to the WHO, intensified fighting in recent months has displaced more than 100,000 people, while about four million people in the affected areas require urgent humanitarian assistance.
The agency also said approximately 10 million people are facing acute hunger.
Mr Ghebreyesus disclosed that a hospital in Ituri was attacked on Thursday, with tents and medical supplies set on fire.
“Building trust in the affected communities is critical to a successful response,” he said.
WHO said it has deployed 22 international staff to support response operations and released $3.9 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies.
Hantavirus deaths
Meanwhile, the WHO said the hantavirus outbreak linked to passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has now recorded 12 cases and three deaths.
The latest confirmed case involved a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife and was later repatriated to the Netherlands, where the individual remains in isolation.
WHO noted that no additional deaths have been reported since 2 May, when the outbreak was first reported.
The agency said more than 600 contacts across 30 countries are still being monitored, while efforts continue to trace a small number of high-risk contacts.
Countries supporting the response include Argentina, Cabo Verde, Chile, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.
No Ebola in Nigeria
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the country has recorded no confirmed Ebola case linked to the ongoing outbreak in Central and East Africa.
The agency said the country remains on heightened alert and has strengthened surveillance at points of entry, including airports, seaports and land borders, to prevent importation of the virus.
The health body also warned against misinformation circulating on social media suggesting that Ebola cases had been detected in Nigeria, describing such claims as false and capable of causing unnecessary panic.
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Following the outbreak declaration, authorities said surveillance systems at points of entry had been strengthened, while emergency response mechanisms were being reviewed to improve readiness.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also announced additional health screening measures and enhanced Ebola surveillance across international airports.
The measures include heightened passenger monitoring, screening protocols, and coordination with health authorities to detect and respond swiftly to suspected cases.
The 79th World Health Assembly has approved the development of a post-2030 global tuberculosis strategy, with member-states requesting World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus to coordinate consultations ahead of a draft presentation at the 81st World Health Assembly in 2028.
WHO said on Thursday that the proposed strategy would guide the global tuberculosis response using emerging scientific advances and current epidemiological trends, while aligning TB programmes with primary healthcare and universal health coverage priorities.
The agency said the strategy supported preparations for the 2028 United Nations High-Level Meeting on tuberculosis, sustaining political momentum beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline amid inequality, conflict, displacement, underfunding.
According to WHO, expanded tuberculosis treatment saved an estimated 83 million lives between 2000 and 2024, while 2024 recorded the first post-pandemic decline in infections and highest access to tuberculosis services.
WHO warned that tuberculosis remained a leading infectious killer in spite of progress, citing gaps caused by pandemic disruptions, climate-related displacement, inequality, conflict, and underfunding, leaving End TB Strategy and 2030 targets unmet.
In a separate resolution, delegates recognised Steatotic Liver Disease as a growing noncommunicable disease burden affecting 1.7 billion people globally, with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and alcohol-associated liver disease driving complications.
The resolution urged countries to integrate Steatotic Liver Disease into national noncommunicable disease strategies, strengthen primary healthcare, improve surveillance, address unhealthy diets and alcohol use, while WHO provides support and reports.
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“Member States also endorsed a resolution on haemophilia and other bleeding disorders to close gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and care,” WHO said, noting 70 per cent of patients globally remain undiagnosed.
WHO said countries would strengthen diagnostic capacity, referral pathways, medicine access, data collection, and public awareness, while delegates warned that health misinformation threatened public safety and required multisectoral collaboration and engagement.
(NAN)
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