When you gotta go, you should go! Holding it in for too long is not good for your health. “Urine is like a creek or river,” says Grant Fowler, MD, vice chair of family and community medicine at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth),. “If you block it, the stream becomes stagnant and gives bacteria the chance to grow in the bladder, and maybe to move back upstream to your kidneys. Keeping it flowing minimises the risk of infection.” Asif Ansari, MD, medical director of the Montefiore Medical Group, says holding it can put you at risk for bladder, kidney and even prostate infections, especially if you have an underlying urological condition or are pregnant. In addition, some studies have shown that holding it for too long can actually stretch out your bladder, a condition called “infrequent voiders syndrome.” Plus, if you’re not going four to seven times a day (at least every four to six hours), you’re probably not drinking enough fluids, and may be dehydrated.