19. Not going to the toilet
The feeling is familiar. You find yourself needing to go to the toilet but are unable to. You don’t like using a public restroom at the mall. So, you resolve to hold it in until you get home. Or you have to attend to a customer and can’t go to the toilet right then. Many people hold in their urge to urinate until the very last moment before making a mad dash for the toilet. They do it for a variety of reasons. Some believe that it strengthens the bladder muscles. Others believe it helps them to put mind over matter. Whatever their justification may be, the ugly truth is that holding it in is bad for your kidneys. It can damage them over the long term.
When the kidneys produce urine, they do so for the purpose of expelling and excreting toxins and other by-products from the body. Excess salt and other harmful substances need to be removed from the body as waste. When you ignore that ‘call of nature you do so at the peril of your kidneys.
The entire urinary tract is affected by a failure to empty your bladder when necessary. The toxins your kidneys were trying to flush may remain behind in the body when you finally go to the toilet. This can cause infection and other damage to the kidneys. In some cases, it gets so bad that the urine in the bladder can back up into your kidneys. This can cause infection as well.
It’s advisable to urinate as soon as your bladder tells you it’s time to go. If you find yourself urinating frequently or unable to control your bladder, see your doctor and get some help.