Is Going to the Bathroom 'Just in Case' Bad for You? [View all]

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Q: A urologist recently told me I shouldn’t go to the bathroom “just in case.” Is that true?

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Urologists call this practice “convenience” or “proactive” voiding, and people of all ages do it, often before heading out the door or going to sleep.

An occasional “just in case” bathroom break won’t do much harm, said Dr. Ariana Smith, a professor of urology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. But doing it several times a day, she said, can increase the likelihood of bladder issues by disrupting the natural feedback loop between your bladder and your brain.

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The experts we spoke with said that when you pee “just in case,” your bladder starts alerting your brain too early, before having the standard amount of urine. This disruption can reduce “the volume your bladder can hold over time,” said Siobhan Sutcliffe, an epidemiologist and professor of surgery at Washington University.

As a result, you might experience discomfort when you are in a situation where you can’t use the bathroom right away, Dr. Smith said.

Urinating before the need arises also makes you more likely to strain. Doing so puts extra pressure on the pelvic floor muscles — a muscle group that supports the bladder and other organs — and can potentially weaken them, said Kathryn Burgio, a behavioral psychologist and professor emerita of gerontology, geriatrics and palliative care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.