I’m a doctor – here’s the shocking reason you should NEVER pee in the shower – long-term harm could be difficult to reverse

By JOHN ELY DEPUTY HEALTH EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE

Published: 12:54 BST, 7 May 2025 | Updated: 12:59 BST, 7 May 2025

Medics have issued an urgent health warning about urinating in the shower, as it could render you incontinent and in some cases even cause kidney damage.

American urogynaecologist Dr Teresa Irwin took to TikTok in a bid to stop people from engaging in the habit committed by 60-80 per cent of the public, polls suggest.

In the clip shared with her 90,000 followers, Dr Irwin claimed that urinating while showering trains the brain to associate the sound of running water with needing to urinate. 

‘It’s kind of like Pavlov’s dog training where every time they heard a little bell ring they will start to salivate,’ she said.

‘So every time you’re washing your hands, taking a shower, washing the dishes, if there is running water your bladder is going to “salivating” because it wants to go and pee.’ 

In the long term this can mess with the body’s internal bladder control leading to frequent rushes to the toilet. 

But that’s not the only potential health hazard linked to urinating in the shower.

Some experts warn women who do so could risk urinary tract infections and even kidney failure. 

American urogynaecologist Dr Teresa Irwin took to TikTok in a bid to stop people from urinating while showering

Medics have urged people to stop the divisive habit, warning that it could render you incontinent and in some cases even injury your kidneys

 While the male bladder is supported by the prostate when urinating while standing, women don’t have this luxury. 

Women who urinate while standing are putting their pelvic floor muscles under extra strain, which can lead to the bladder failing to empty.

This leftover urine, medically called urinary retention, can lead to a host of health problems. 

Dr Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a Boston-based pelvic floor therapist previously warned that women are ‘not designed to pee standing up’. 

‘Your pelvic floor isn’t going to relax properly, which means we’re really not going to be emptying our bladder super well,’ she said. 

One final danger from urinating in the shower, for both men and women, is the potential risk of skin infection.

Open wounds on the lower body can easily become infected with bacteria that may be lurking in urine. 

However, experts say the risk is relatively minor since, in theory, the water from the shower should wash the urine away from the wound. 

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I’m a doctor – here’s the shocking reason you should NEVER pee in the shower – long-term harm could be difficult to reverse

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