If you are too busy for washroom breaks then your bladder may suffer. Quit this workplace habit now! Long hours of work, whether packed with back-to-back meetings or spent chasing deadlines, can sometimes lead to the habit of holding in urine. Many tend to delay restroom breaks, thinking they will finish just a few more minutes of work before going. But as and when you make it a long-term habit, it can have damaging health implications and affect bladder health extensively. This body's natural signal to relieve yourself is important to pay attention to; you expose yourself to infections of several kinds.Don't hold your pee! When you get nature's call, you need to listen to it! (Picture credit: Freepik)ALSO READ: Drinking more soda than water this summer? Urologist warns young adults of UTI, kidney stone risksTo get a better understanding of why you need to stop this unhealthy behaviour at work immediately, Dr Manish C.A., uro oncologist at Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, shared with HT Lifestyle, in an interview, the downsides of resisting the urge to urinate. This common workplace habit, where basic bodily needs are pushed aside in the chase of productivity and hustle, can be very dangerous. Over time, the oncologist noted, the bladder is forced to hold the urine for much longer than necessary or normal.How bad is it to hold your pee for a few hours?The oncologist shared that he frequently asked how bad it is to hold urine for a few hours. He would respond that doing so occasionally is usually not a problem, as the bladder is designed to store urine for some time. But how often should one empty the bladder? Dr Manish observed, “An average adult tends to empty the bladder every three to four hours during the daytime.” This, however, also depends on several factors, including fluid consumption, physical activity and an individual’s bladder capacity. But the problem arises when ignoring the bladder’s signal to the brain becomes a regular habit.What happens when you repeatedly hold back pee?UTI and yeast infections can be very painful. (Pexels)While the bladder is designed to withstand pee, Dr Manish expressed concern that eventually one's bladder becomes weak. Other major problems include, the oncologist said, "The person who frequently holds back pee can experience problems like urgency, frequency, urine retention, or UTIs if he or she is predisposed to the conditions."Who needs to be extra cautious?Some people are more vulnerable to major health risks, like UTI, from urine retention. The doctor urged people with diabetes, enlarged prostates, neurological issues, UTIs, or bladder dysfunctions in their past to be more cautious.Word of advice from the expertThe expert's advice is quite simple. He asserted that restroom breaks should not be treated as optional. "All I tell my patients is to ensure that they drink plenty of water and take a few minutes out of their busy days to go to the washroom. My advice is straightforward: listen to your bladder," he said.Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read MoreHealthCatch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.See Less