Read This If You Always Pee 'Just In Case,' Even If You Don't Have To

TikTok isn’t necessarily known for being a bastion of credible wellness advice. (For example, please do not use a nail file to straighten your teeth). But one potentially common-sense health lesson has bubbled up on the platform: the idea that urinating before you leave the house “just in case” is not good for your bladder, and might even make you pee more because you’re essentially training your bladder to empty itself before it needs to.

“Stop peeing just in case!” physical therapy student Sabrina Baxter urged on TikTok in March. She isn’t the only one sounding off on social media about the “just in case” pee, either. Physical therapist Bethany Henry Clark has also received a lot of attention for her posts warning people against the habit.

Are you a “just in case” pee-er? Here’s what you need to know.

Listening to your bladder is your best bet.

According to Marcelino Rivera, an assistant professor of urology with the Indiana University School of Medicine, peeing “just in case” before you head out the door probably is not going to suddenly screw up your bladder.

However, to the extent it’s possible, Rivera really urged those who don’t have any urinary issues — so no known problems with their bladder, no issues with frequent urinary tract infections, etc. — to simply go when they have to, rather than holding it or forcing it because the timing is more convenient.

As a benchmark, experts generally agree that people should pee around six to eight times over the course of a 24-hour period.

“People should really listen to their body,” he said. “Use the bathroom as frequently your body tells you to go.”

Training yourself to hold your pee can be harmful in the long run.

In the same way that some experts warn against