Do You Push While Peeing? Causes And Why You Shouldn't Do It

You’ve probably experienced common urinary issues like a sudden urge to pee or frequent urination after drinking a lot of fluids. However, have you also been in a situation where you have to strain the bladder to pee? If that is the case, you’re not alone. Also known as urinary hesitancy, it is described as the difficulty or delay in starting a urine stream, even when the bladder feels full.

In an interaction with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Ankit Sharma, Consultant Urologist, Manipal Hospitals, Kharadi, Pune, shares the causes of bladder strain and explains why you shouldn’t do it.

Also Read: Do You Have A Shy Bladder Syndrome? Expert On How To Overcome

What Happens To Your Bladder When You Push To Pee?

When you push to pee, you're trying to force urine out of your bladder by contracting your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, which isn't the natural way urination should occur.

When we push or strain the bladder to urinate, the abdominal muscles tense up and the bladder is compressed, explains Dr Sharma, continuing, “Pressure is then created to force the urine out. It overcomes the bladder's natural removal mechanisms, which synchronise the contraction of the bladder wall with the relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles."

Hence, repeatedly straining to urinate stretches both the bladder and its supporting muscles, disrupting the normal urination reflex and leading to increased intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure can negatively impact other pelvic organs and cause tissue damage over time. "Urinary leakage, pelvic organ prolapse, or chronic pain may eventually result from this; those who already have a pelvic floor weakness, such as during childbirth, are more at risk,” warns Dr Sharma.

Causes Of Bladder Strain

Straining and the sensation of the need to push to urinate can be caused by a variety of circumstances. “The most prevalent of which is bladder outlet obstruction brought on by a benign enlarged prostate, urethral stricture, or bladder stones in men or severe pelvic organ prolapse or urethral stricture in women,” highlights Dr Sharma. Other underlying causes include:

• Neurological disorders like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), brain stroke, spinal cord damage, diabetic neuropathy and Parkinson's disease
• Chronic constipation and anal pathologies

A thorough evaluation and treatment of the underlying reason is essential for preventing long-term harm to your pelvic floor and bladder.

Also Read: Latchkey Incontinence: The Bladder Condition No One Talks About

How To Manage The Condition

Determining the source of urinary dysfunction is the most important step in managing the condition. Common tests include:

• Urine flow test
• Bladder scans
• Pelvic exams
• Treatments can include:
• Pelvic floor physical therapy
• Bladder retraining
• Posture control during urination

In certain cases, the issue can be resolved simply by treating constipation or UTIs, or structural problems with surgery can result in improvements, depending on what has been causing them.

In the event of neurological causes, certain bladder management techniques and medications may be required. According to Dr Sharma, long-term maintenance of bladder and pelvic health depends on making lifestyle adjustments, such as adjusting fluid consumption, avoiding constipation and deferment of urination, and refraining from a habit of straining.