Peeing Too Often? How to Train Your Bladder

Learn how frequent urination impacts bladder health and how to manage it.

Do you often feel the need to pee “just in case?” While occasionally helpful, habitually emptying your bladder too frequently may reduce its capacity, leading to more frequent bathroom trips. Let’s explore healthy bladder habits.

How Often Is Too Often?

After digestion, the body filters waste from the blood, producing urine. The average person urinates five to six times daily.

“The kidneys filter the blood to remove impurities, maintain homeostasis, and make sure electrolytes and our acid-base balance is proper. What’s produced by that is urine, and we have to get rid of the urine,” explained Ronald Benoit, MD, an associate professor of urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Typically, bladders can comfortably hold around two cups of urine for two to five hours. Several factors influence how often one urinates, including hydration, diet, body size and metabolism, according to Michael A. Savino, MD, director of quality in urology at Northwell’s Staten Island University Hospital.

The Impact of “Just in Case” Urination

Many people preemptively urinate before long trips. While not harmful occasionally, it becomes problematic if done too frequently.

“It’s not harmful to pee just in case when you’re going on a long trip. However, it becomes an issue if this is done all day every day, and the trips to the restroom are very frequent, as in less than 2-3 hours,” said Hajar I. Ayoub, MD, a urologist at UTHealth Houston.

Normally, the brain signals when the bladder is full. Frequent preemptive urination reduces bladder capacity, leading to more frequent urges, cautions Ayoub.

Anxiety, UTIs, pregnancy, caffeine, and certain medications can also increase urination frequency. Interestingly, adults aged 60+ reported needing to urinate more often than younger adults, per CDC data (CDC).

The Truth About Holding It

While holding your pee occasionally won’t cause your bladder to burst, regularly doing so isn’t ideal.

“You can never hold it until something bad happens. Your bladder is not going to spontaneously burst. There are very few documented spontaneous bladder ruptures in the world’s literature due to holding your urine too long,” stated Savino.

Although holding urine for extended periods may feel uncomfortable and could lead to accidental emptying, the risk of UTIs is not definitively proven, according to Benoit.

When to Seek Medical Advice

As we age, bladders may weaken, resulting in reduced urine capacity. Increased urination can also be linked to uncontrolled diabetes, bladder cancer, or tumors.

Benoit advises, “If someone has a dramatic change in the space of days, weeks, or even a month or two, I think it’s a good idea to seek some medical help to make sure there is nothing more serious going on.”

Bladder retraining exercises, guided by a healthcare provider, can help those struggling with bladder control. Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake can also alleviate the issue, as caffeine stimulates the bladder, worsening the problem, according to Benoit.