urinal (flickr) Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a new golden rule: every mammal takes about 21 seconds to urinate. Patricia Yang and her co-authors dubbed it the "Law of Orientation" in a paper published this week, and they say it applies across a wide range of animal sizes.
Basically, if you time yourself peeing (over a period of time, not just one sitting) and find that you take significantly longer or shorter than 21 seconds, it can indicate that you are holding it in for too long, or not enough.
It's a strange question and one you've probably never considered. But experts say there is a certain amount of time it should take to empty your bladder. From house cats to elephants, most mammals take about 20 seconds to urinate. That goes for humans as well.
In general, it should take about 20 seconds to pee. You can set a timer, or simply by counting “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi,” Dr. Miller says. If you're significantly over or under 20 seconds, you're likely holding your pee too long or going too often.
“Usually I recommend that you empty your bladder every three hours, whether you have the urge to go or not,” says Nazia Bandukwala, D.O., a urologist at Piedmont. “It's important to do that so you're not retaining too much urine in your bladder.”
Adults, on the other hand, have an average bladder of 16 to 24 ounces and they require approximately 8 to 9 hours to fill the bladder.
Your body's physical capacity to keep in urine is based on a few things: "Most of the time women can hold urine for three to six hours, but this will vary," says Brucker.
Your bladder can hold about 500ml of urine. But you usually feel the need to go when it's holding around 200-300ml. Most people empty their bladder 4 to 6 times a day.
You may pass urine more often than usual because of: Infection, disease, injury or irritation of the bladder. A condition that causes your body to make more urine. Changes in muscles, nerves or other tissues that affect how the bladder works.
Typically, you should be able to sleep six to eight hours during the night without having to get up to go to the bathroom. But, people who have nocturia wake up more than once a night to pee. This can cause disruptions in your normal sleep cycle, and leave you tired and with less energy during the day.
If there's no reason found for the frequent urination, a physician might recommend holding the pee to retrain the bladder and reduce bathroom visits. In general, this might include waiting for at least 15 minutes when the urge to pee hits, to see if it's truly necessary to go right away or if it can wait.
In some cases, holding in pee for too long can cause bacteria to multiply. This may lead to a urinary tract infection (UTI). Many doctors recommend avoiding holding in pee for extended periods of time, as it can increase the risk of UTIs, especially if a person has a history of frequent UTIs.
Although specific laws against public urination exist in Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, there is no such discrete offence in New South Wales. Rather, such acts may amount to “offensive conduct”, which is a crime under section 4 of the Summary Offences Act 1988 (NSW).
Holding it in for too long gives bacteria the chance to multiply and settle in the bladder, leading to infection. Holding urine can overstretch the bladder and lead to voiding dysfunction, which is a lack of coordination between the bladder muscle and the urethra.
If you're urinating less than normal, this may be because of an underlying condition such as a blockage or narrowing in the urethra, a neurologic condition (like Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis), kidney damage or failure, or a weak bladder.
A urinary tract infection (UTI)
Besides frequent urination, signs of a UTI include fever, a burning feeling when you pee, discolored urine and constantly feeling like you need to pee (even after peeing). You may also feel bladder pressure or discomfort in your back or around your pelvis.
Drink one liter or 32 ounces of water 30 minutes before your ultrasound appointment. Don't empty your bladder again until the appointment ends. Wear comfortable clothing and take any prescribed medication as directed. Arrive at the ultrasound clinic 15 minutes before your appointment.
When's the best time to stop drinking water? It's often recommended that you should stop drinking water two hours before going to bed. This way, you're not flooding your body with extra fluids that may cause an unwanted trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Urge incontinence occurs when an overactive bladder spasms or contracts at the wrong times. You may leak urine when you sleep or feel the need to pee after drinking a little water, even though you know your bladder isn't full.