A urinary health expert has revealed five common mistakes people make when going to the toilet that could be damaging their bladder and pelvic floor muscles.
GP Dr Masarat Jilani, who works with green incontinence pad brand Jude, has outlined these errors and provided advice on how to correct them.
Incorrect posture
For women, it's essential to sit correctly on the toilet while urinating to maintain good bladder health, reports Bristol Live. Although we're often advised to sit upright, this isn't the best position for peeing as it doesn't allow the bladder to fully empty. Instead, you should sit on the toilet with your feet flat on the ground, lean forward, and rest your elbows on your knees. This posture will enable your pelvic floor muscles to relax and let your bladder completely empty itself.
Hovering
Sarah Cawood tells cancer to 'do one' as she plunges in ice bath after battleAnyone who's been to a festival will be familiar with the 'hover wee', but this is something your pelvic floor muscles despise. Hovering prevents these muscles from fully relaxing, which stops your bladder from entirely emptying. Over time, this can reduce your bladder's functionality.
If possible, use a seat cover or clean the seat before use. If you absolutely have to hover, try to support some of your weight by leaning on the door or wall to alleviate some pressure from your pelvic floor.
Pushing
Emptying your bladder should feel effortless, you shouldn't feel the need to strain your muscles or push to pass urine. When you forcibly push, you're actually activating your pelvic floor muscles, when in reality you should be relaxing them.
Over time this could confuse your bladder by teaching your muscles to do the opposite of what they should be doing naturally. Instead go with the flow and never interrupt the stream. If you find yourself needing to push to pass urine it may be a sign that something's not quite right with your pelvic floor, so it's worth speaking to your doctor.
Going 'just in case'
This is another bad bladder habit that will confuse your pelvic floor. Going to the bathroom, just because you have a long car journey, or don't want to wake up in the night might seem like the sensible thing to do.
Unfortunately your bladder disagrees, making this a habitual time-planning hack can cause your bladder to become overactive. Instead, always listen to your body and go only when you have to, even if it is inconvenient.
Holding it in
Look, there will always be times when you have to hold it for a short period of time. If you're out somewhere without a public bathroom for instance. Holding it in occasionally won't cause any issues. However, making it a habit to ignore your body's signals that it needs to urinate will create problems over time.
UK's 20 poshest villages of 2023 with surprising number one - see full listIf you regularly hold in your pee, it can weaken your bladder over time and make you more susceptible to UTIs. This is because when you don't empty your bladder often enough, the bacteria present in your urinary tract have a greater chance of colonising and causing an infection. Not drinking enough water can also lead to this, so remember to stay hydrated and take regular bathroom breaks.