Is peeing in the shower bad for your pelvic floor?

Want to know a secret? Many people pee in the shower! Okay, this may not really surprise you. This is not a secret. It’s just that we don’t openly discuss it that often! But

peeing in the shower

is more common than you imagine. According to a YouGov poll, 62% of Americans, both men and women equally have peed in the shower at some point and 21% do it all the time. If you are someone who considers it to be a harmless act, or feel it’s nasty, then you should certainly know whether it has any effects on your health!
Is it okay to pee in the shower?

While some people find it convenient, as everything washes straight down the drain and even relaxing, others consider it downright repulsive. The one who is put off by this idea is concerned more about the hygiene side and how cleaning and peeing in the same place isn’t cool. But how does it affect your health? Are there any consequences?
Some of the health concerns that people raise about this habit is getting adapted to the water reflex over time, or the posture and pelvic floor issues.

There are studies that suggest that consistently peeing in the shower while hearing running water, will lead to your brain associating the sound of the water with the need to urinate. This can result in a

conditioned reflex

over time, where you will feel the urge to pee when you hear running water.

Another significant concern is its effect on pelvic floor muscles. The common debate is that while women stand up and urinate, the position doesnot allow pelvic floor muscles to relax, leading to forced straining and incomplete removal or urine from the bladder. However, some urologists think this assertion is not really true.

The muscles that control the urine from the bladder are called

urinary sphincters

. One of these two muscles are situated at the base of the bladder and another is near to the pelvic floors. When you force urine, the pelvic floor muscles weaken. However, if you are in a warm shower, it will relax the sphincter, without straining it. However, if you have a weak pelvic floor, such as from childbirth or aging, peeing in the shower may not be a good idea.
(Pic courtesy: Pexels)