Are you practically bursting to know more about pee, but have been too embarrassed to ask your questions aloud? Well, urine for a treat. A stream of pee worries plague peopleâs minds every day. For answers on this toilet topic, U.S. News talked to Dr. Michael OâLeary, a senior urologic surgeon at Brigham and Womenâs Hospital, and Dr. Benjamin Davies, associate professor of urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and chief of urology at UPMC Shadyside/Hillman Cancer Center. So consider this your primer on pee.
What color should my pee be?
This may come as a shock, but according to Davies, it doesnât really matter. âWe donât care about the color of your pee particularly,â he says. âMany foods can change the color of your pee. If you down a whole bunch of beets your pee is gonna be red.â He also says asparagus can make your pee green. âWe donât really use [color] as a barometer for your health, unless youâre trying to make sure youâre hydrated, and we want to see that itâs relatively clear,â he adds. If your pee is a darker shade, like dark yellow or even amber, youâre not getting enough fluids. âUrine ought to be closer to clear than it is to dark yellow,â OâLeary explains.
How often should I pee?
Thereâs no ânormalâ amount, per se, experts say. Healthy people with healthy kidneys produce 2 liters of urine a day (about 68 ounces); since normal bladder capacity is between 300 to 400 cubic centimeters, that means youâre going about five times per day, OâLeary says. However: Whatâs normal for one person may not be normal for another, so thereâs no need to compare, he adds. Caveat: If you feel like youâre going more than normal, discuss it with your doctor. It could signal something more serious, like diabetes.
Is there a proper pee stance?
Men, indeed, can pee standing up or sitting down. But men who have to sit down to pee should see a physician. âIf you have to sit down to urinate to push it out, thereâs a fancy name for that called credeing, thatâs basically because you have to use your abdominal muscles to pee,â Davies says. âSo you have to sit down, and you tense your abdominal muscles and get your urine out. Obviously, thatâs a sign of a problem.â That being said, it might be a good idea for men of a certain age to sit down even if theyâre just peeing. âI encourage men, particularly older guys, [to do this], âcause older guys are more likely to get up at night to void, and risk of falling increases with aging,â OâLeary says.
Is the âbreaking the sealâ myth true?
You know the drill. Youâre out to drinks with friends when you feel the sudden urge to urinate. Itâs commonly known as âbreaking the sealâ â the idea that your initial jaunt to the restroom will trigger a barrage of trips thereafter. âThereâs no great science there,â Davies said, dismissing this legendary bar fable. âThereâs no âbreaking the seal,â I hate to tell you.â In other words, when youâve got to go, youâve got to go.
As far as myths go, Davies and OâLeary also debunked another: healing a jellyfish sting by urinating on it. âI donât think urine is generally considered therapeutic in any way shape or form,â OâLeary says.
What should I do if I pee blood?
While beets may make your pee look red, urinating blood is a different story. Blood in your urine is never something to ignore, OâLeary says. It could be something as serious as bladder or prostate cancer, but also as benign as having exercised or developed a bladder or urinary tract infection, Davies adds. Age and medical status play a part in this, too. Long story short: See your doctor.
What do I do when it hurts to pee?
Painful urination could be signs of a bladder or urinary tract infection, a sexually transmitted disease or stricture (or abnormal narrowing) of your urethra â so generally, you should tell your doctor, Davies says. âIf itâs painful or burning when youâre urinating, the first thing you think about is possible infection,â OâLeary adds. âMore common in women than in men.â
Why does asparagus make my pee smell?
Itâs complicated. âPeople who have the enzyme asparaginase, it breaks down asparagine, which is what is in asparagus, and their urine doesnât smell,â OâLeary says. âThe other ones just donât have the gene for the enzyme.â Davies offers a different theory: Youâre smelling asparagusic acid, which your body transforms into smelly, sulfur-containing chemicals. âIt has to do with your ability to smell rather than the actual pee. Some people smell asparagus in their urine, others do not, he explains.
Is it bad to hold my pee in?
Holding your pee in during that long bus ride home from work isnât inherently an issue. But making it a chronic habit may not be the best idea, as thatâs training your bladder to hold more and more urine beyond the 300 to 400 cc limit. âI think it isnât ever a good idea to really, seriously postpone urination,â OâLeary says. Davies agrees, âI donât think you should hold it in for the whole day ... but youâre not gonna hurt yourself by holding in your urine.â
Could I ever pee too much?
Yes, and it could actually be a sign of a larger health issue. âPeople with diabetes often will present with urinating too much,â Davies says. This includes both the more rare diabetes insipidus (a salt and water metabolism disorder that makes you thirsty and indeed, pee heavily) and mellitus (whatâs generally referred to as diabetes, when your blood has too much sugar). People can also create this problem themselves, which can upset daily routines and lifestyle. âWe see patients all the time who train their bladders to empty frequently,â OâLeary says. Peeing too much could also be a sign of overactive bladder, a chronic condition, Davies adds, though for some folks it may manifest as the sudden urge to urinate.
Is urine sterile? Does that mean I can drink it?
Yes, urine is sterile, Davies confirms. But that doesnât mean you should drink it. âWe donât want you drinking your pee,â he says. The trend of âurotherapy,â in which you drink pee or put it on yourself in hopes of achieving clearer skin and an energy boost, isnât generally advisable unless youâre fighting to survive. âSince Iâm not aware of any real studies looking at this issue in particular, my advice would be to not get stranded,â Davies says. âUrotherapy is bizarre, disgusting and not endorsed by any serious professionals.â
What if I feel like I have to pee, but nothing comes out?
Donât fret just yet. âThat happens to a lot of people, very, very common, both in men and women,â Davies says. âUsually thatâs over your bladder kind of being overactive, or overly sensitive.â It could, however, be a sign of something more serious, depending on factors like the patientâs age, medical history or tagalong symptoms, according to Davies.
What Color Should My Pee Be? was originally published on U.S. News & World Report.
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