She added: “The bladder is a muscle–nerve organ. Normally, it fills up, the nervous system registers the volume, and only then does a real urge appear. At that moment, the bladder and the pelvic floor muscles work in coordination.

“When we regularly go to the toilet without a real urge, the bladder empties at too small a volume. Over time, the nervous system gets used to reacting earlier than it should. As a result, frequent urges may appear, a constant feeling of ‘I always need to go’, anxiety before travelling, and increased pelvic floor tension.”

Commenters on the post were blown away by Dr Sadovskaya’s advice, as many of them said they always go to the toilet before they leave the house and had no idea it could be bad for their bladder.

One person said: “I saw a similar TikTok a while ago and have started doing this (when I know there is a toilet where I’m going or on the way) and it has helped me go less often.”

Another added: “This is me. And that is why I always have anxiety when I travel on a bus without a toilet.”

Some misunderstood the doctor’s advice and insisted they would continue going to the toilet when they felt they needed to. Dr Sadovskaya was not telling people to hold their wee or stop themselves from using the toilet when they need it, as this can also be dangerous, but was instead suggesting that people only go to the toilet when they actually need to.

How to maintain a healthy bladder

As per Bladder and Bowel UK, you should pass urine whenever you need to. If you are drinking well, then this should be around every two to three hours. They state that holding urine too long can make it more difficult for your bladder to fully empty, and can increase the likelihood of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI).

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