If we take much less or much more than 21 seconds to empty our bladder, something is wrong. A legend? No, it’s there Law of pee, for which a IgNobel award and which urologists recently talked about, inviting us to check our time in the bathroom.
In 2015 a research group of the Georgia Tech (Usa) had been awarded the curious and prestigious IgNobel prize for physics for demonstrating how bladder emptying is a process with a well-defined time in good health, and that this happens for all animals, almost independently from body mass.
“Almost” because there is a correlation, mainly due to the influence of the mass on the pressure exerted on the bladder, but the emptying time also depends on the force of gravity.
Particularly in smaller animals, less than 3Kg in weight, the pee time is actually limited only by the surface tension of the urine and therefore individuals can get rid of it even in a fraction of a second, while the larger ones have longer and longer urethra hence a greater gravitational force driving the flow.
Result? All animals weighing more than 3 kg empty their bladder in one average time of 21 seconds. All, or almost all, which leads to this average time for both the species weighing 500 grams and those weighing 100 kg.
In a recent interview with Well and Good l’urologist Nicole Eisenbrown returned to the subject, arguing that this rule, which we also fully fall into, can be used to keep an eye on one’s health: basically, if we realize that it takes much more or much less than 21 seconds, it means that we are holding on too long, or not long enough. And therefore something is wrong.
Read also: Few imagine that the color of urine can reveal a lot about your health
Of course it does not necessarily mean that we have a very serious problem, quite the contrary. Maybe we do a job that forces us to chronically hold pee and this can “dilate” the bladder, causing functional problems along the line. Longer times spent urinating at a lower pressure could also indicate prostate problems in men, however very frequent from middle age and often not serious.
Read also: Prostate: 20 symptoms not to be underestimated
Conversely, continuous urination (taking much less than 21 seconds could indicate many small voids), could be the indicator of an “overactive bladder” and this typically occurs in presence of stones or cystitis.
Read also: Cystitis: Symptoms, Causes, and 11 Natural Remedies
In any case, significant alterations in the time of urination always deserve at least a check-up by your doctor.
Fonti: Improbable Research / Well and Good
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The article incorporates published studies and recommendations from international institutions and / or experts. We make no claims in the medical-scientific field and we report the facts as they are. The sources are indicated at the end of each article
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