Holding urine for long periods could lead to an atonic bladder, or could cause inflammation of the urinary tract, hematuria or renal retention, a urologist said.
Chang Fu-chung (張甫仲), a doctor at Taipei Hospital’s Department of Urology, on Friday last week said that the hospital admitted a 38-year-old woman who complained of a sharp, stinging pain when urinating.
Chang said he diagnosed her with urethritis, based on her symptoms and darker-colored urine.
The top three groups of people who usually hold off going to the restroom are women, middle-aged and older people with prostatic hyperplasia, and those who fail to drink enough water because of their job, such as security guards, medical personnel, counter clerks or police, Chang said.
As women generally have a shorter urinary tract than men, they are at higher risk of contracting a urinary tract infection if they do not drink enough liquids during the day, Chang added.
Prostatic hyperplasia in middle-aged to older men often causes renal retention, or forces them to urinate at a higher frequency than others, he said.
Holding in the urge to urinate for long periods forces the bladder to lose its elasticity and could lead to other complications, he said.
Chang said that when traveling, people should stop at rest stops along the way, or prepare bags or bottles if they need to urinate during a traffic jam.
Lee Pei-ni (李佩霓), director of the hospital’s Department of Nutrition, said that people should drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
Eating pumpkin seeds every day might be beneficial for men, Lee said.
Pumpkin seeds contain minute amounts of zinc and selenium, which can help protect the prostate, she said.
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