Is it bad to hold your pee? - Heba Shaheed

Humans should urinate at least four to six times a day, but occasionally, the pressures of modern life force us to clench and hold it in. How bad is this habit, and how long can our bodies withstand it? Heba Shaheed takes us inside the bladder to find out.

Lesson by Heba Shaheed, animation by Artrake Studio.

[TEDEd]

Thank you so much to everyone who has decided to support our nonprofit mission on Patreon so far! For anyone else looking to get involved, please come join us at patreon.com/teded!

[uzairarshad]

The dislikes are from teachers who don’t want students to go to the bathroom

[farida]

let me just *emails this to every teacher*

[PhoenixGami]

Holding your urine for too long can weaken the bladder muscles over time. This can lead to problems such as incontinence and not being able to fully empty your bladder. Holding your urine for extremely long periods of time can also cause urinary tract infections due to bacteria build-up.

[susanfarley]

The meanest thing I ever heard of was a teacher my grandmother had in elementary school. The teacher would not let any of the children leave class to use the bathroom. My grandmother refused to be like other kids who wet their pants. She held it. And held it. When she got home she found she couldn't pee at all. They had to take her to the doctor.

[planetwanderlust]

I shouldn't have watched this before I go to sleep, now all I can think about is my bladder slowly filling

[AyratHungryStudent]

Instead of asking: "can I go to the bathroom?",
Inform them: "excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom".
Don't wait for permission. You are not in prison.

[kjlucky]

“Holding it” for too long too frequently as a child partly caused me to develop bad bladder infections and I had to be on different medications for 2+ years and regularly have an Urodynamic evaluation- painful procedure where they insert a catheter and fill your bladder with water until your body forces you to release it to test bladder pressure. I also came very close to having a major surgery but thankfully the right combination of medications helped. Fun times.

[kevinkevin]

I got a UTI from having to hold my bladder at school. Bathrooms were closed during lunch due to vaping. And my teachers had a bathroom pass system in place. You got extra credit if you didn't use them.

[noodle]

They should show this to the school systems, a lot of kids constantly have to hold it in during the day because the teachers won’t let them go and there isn’t enough time in between classes.

[amanshera]

Our maths teacher had this policy of "not asking permission when you need to go just get up and leave". Good times.

[nonexoxo]

I remember I was too shy to even use a public bathroom. I will never forget in 9th grade when I held my urine from morning to the end of the day.. omg I almost peed myself last minute. But thank God an Angel sent someone to open the door for me so I can go. And thank God I didn't receive damage or an infection.

[hibamohammed]

When I was in my third grade, I had to pee quite frequently which I couldn't help it. My teacher hated it. Once she walked in and I really had to go pee. I asked her permission and...she just slapped my face so hard. I was a small kid. I didn't say a word. I didn't tell my parents. I literally had no friends. I went back of the classroom and cried in silence. My cheek got red print from her tight slap because I wanted to pee. I am 25 now and I remember every bit. I'll never forget her.

[NymAM]

I've walked out of class several times because I had to desperately relieve myself and the teacher(s) just wouldn't let me go. One of them ended up contacting my parents and in the meeting with them said he was disappointed they didn't "teach me manners" because I had been "extremely disobedient" towards him and other teachers. When asked what I had done my dad requested to meet the headmaster with all the other teachers that had a problem with me and berated them. That was an amazing day :)

[YoshinoArt]

When I hold my pee for too long, after I go, I still have a strange feeling like i have to pee even if I don't

[ashzar]

I had this idea 💡 yesterday I don’t know how this video popped up. Great information. Thanks

[rage]

Me literally in class and having to go to pee: “Mrs.Bertha, can I go pee?” Mrs Bertha speaking: “NO, why did YOU NOT GO AT PASSING TIME”

[samanthavandoren]

Wish you would have addressed UTIs and bacteria that can build up from holding your pee, too, but this was a fantastic animation

[lucyphillips]

I’m showing this to all of my teachers
“Miss may I use the bathroom”
“You should’ve gone at break/lunch”

[tarawatfarahani]

This is the most enjoyable way to teach scientific matters.