eli5: Why does the serious urge to pee not correlate with the amount that comes out

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So sometimes when the urge to pee is really bad it’s bordering on painful, like after a long sleep or car drive, not that much comes out. But then other times when I’m just chilling at home and go for a pee with no urgency I pee like Seabiscuit. What gives? What causes you to need to pee so badly it hurts cuz it doesn’t seem like it’s a volume thing?

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32 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s a pressure thing. Your bladder is like a bag with liquid inside, if sit scrunched up and maybe have some other things in your gut, it might be being pressed.

Similar reasons to why pregnant women pee so frequently.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Your bladder has an internal (involuntary) and an external (voluntary) sphincter.

As I understand it, If the internal one lets any urine through, that’s when you start getting the urgency sensations, rather than based on how full your bladder is.

It’s just more common for it to let some through when you have the pressure of a full bladder.

Edit: I didn’t understand it that well apparently. See below comment.

Anonymous 0 Comments

There’s stuff in your pee that your body wants to get rid of, regardless of the amount of pee in your bladder.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Urgency to pee where not a lot comes out could also be the beginning of a Urinary Tract Infection. Not fun.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I think its to do with the Ammonia levels the body kind of wants to get that out asap.

That been said one of the most common causes of a strong urge to urinate with little urine produced is a UTI, or urinary tract infection.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Doesn’t matter if I just peed 15 minutes ago, if my clothes come off (for shower, changing, ..other stuff) I have to pee NOW. I’m sure it’s been ingrained since diaperhood*, but 65 years later?

* If you’re a parent, you know.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Next time you need a wee really bad. Tell yourself over and over, I don’t need a wee, I don’t need a wee… and within a few seconds the need can complete dissappear.
Note: the need does come back… but you can buy yourself some time 🙂

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’m a diabetic and when my sugar is high I have a horrible urge to pee all the time. Right before I was first diagnosed, when my blood sugar was like 800, it was so bad that unless I stopped to pee every 15 minutes I would be in such horrible pain that I pulled over on the side of the road and just went there. Wasn’t amount/pressure related, it was the keytones, acid filtered out of my blood burning my bladder I guess

Anonymous 0 Comments

If you experience a lot of pain and then don’t urinate much, you should probably see a urologist and a pelvic floor physiotherapist.

Bladder conditions are commonly underdiagnosed because people don’t realize they shouldn’t be having pain and discomfort.

Anonymous 0 Comments

In addition to other stuff said, the nerves that let you know when your bladder is full can become irritated and make you feel like you need to go

Alcohol is one such irritant, which leads to the whole “breaking the seal” phenomena. Any alcohol that passes through to be expelled with your urine will make it feel like your bladder is fuller than it is a lot quicker than it normally would be