When nature calls, you really ought to listen.
We’ve all had those times where we’re watching something on TV or are on the phone or are otherwise occupied, when suddenly, we get that ol’ rumble in our tumble. It’s a pain in the butt to stop what you’re doing and consult the porcelain altar (sometimes literally), so you may be tempted to just try and hold it in and keep doing what you’re doing. Once in a while, this is perfectly okay, but it’s absolutely not okay to make a habit of it.
Whether you have to go number 1 or number 2, you should endeavor to get the matter settled as soon as you feel the urge, not just for the sake of relief, but for the sake of health and safety. Holding in your… productions, let’s call them, can cause lasting damage to your body.
For example, when you try to stem the flow ’round back too often, you can develop symptoms of constipation. The longer the torpedo’s in the tube, the more water it accumulates from your body. If it accumulates too much water, it’ll harden and become much harder to pass. Not only is this painful in general, if it’s large and hard enough, you could develop an even more painful fissure.
Closing the front valve is even more dangerous. Urinating cleans out your urinary tract, so if you hold it for too long, bacteria can start to accumulate, leading to a urinary tract infection. Holding it in also strains your urinary tract muscles and kidneys, which can, later in life, lead to incontinence and kidney disease.
So even if you’re really busy with something, if you get the urge to go, you should probably just go ahead and do it. You’ll be glad you did, for more reasons than one.
