The rules you never thought you needed to know… about WEEING!

Chances are you assumed you knew everything about peeing since you've been doing it for decades.

But experts say we're still doing it wrong.

And even more worrying, they say this could have painful consequences.

Chris Blick, a urological surgeon at Princess Grace Hospital in Nottingham, tells exactly what to do and what not to do the next time you get the urge to go.

Don't force yourself to wait

The average bladder holds between 400ml and 600ml – about one pint – and people typically need to urinate four to eight times a day.

However, this varies depending on hydration level and bladder size.

But one rule for everyone is: go when you have to go, otherwise you risk a bladder infection, said Mr Blick.

He says, 'In general, you shouldn't force yourself to wait until you're desperate to pee.

'Sometimes this technique can be used as part of bladder training to support patients with overactive bladder.

'Holding too much can be painful and if you have a urinary tract infection you may feel unwell.

'If you regularly hold in your urine, this can cause your bladder to stretch over time.'

…But don't go too often

However, doing the opposite – going too often – can also bring a whole host of problems.

Many may be guilty of rushing to the bathroom before a long car ride to make sure they've emptied their bladder.

While this is safe to do occasionally, forcing yourself to urinate regularly can lead to the need to go more often.

Mr Blick says: 'As a general rule, if you don't have to urinate, you shouldn't try.

'This will potentially train your bladder to empty when it isn't necessary, and can create a habit that leads to unwanted urination frequency.

'Sometimes, for example before a long journey, we may try to urinate when we are not full, and this is unlikely to have any consequences.'

Never force, otherwise you risk painful consequences

For women, relaxing before going to the toilet is also important, he says.

If you have to force your pee after relaxing, it could be a sign of an obstruction.

Mr Blick says: 'You don't have to push while urinating.

'The bladder works most efficiently when the pelvic floor is relaxed and the bladder muscle contracts automatically, causing you to urinate.'

Pushing too much can weaken your pelvic floor and even lead to prolapse — when one or more organs in the pelvis slip out of their normal position and bulge into the vagina — if you push down for an extended period of time, says Mr. Blick.

He added: 'If you strain while urinating, this could be a sign of obstruction and you should consult your doctor or urologist.'

Always sit (unless you are a man)

Getting into the habit of hovering over the toilet seat can also lead to prolapse, he says.

This is because floating causes a weaker urine flow, encouraging women to 'exposing or pushing,” which “can contribute to subsidence if continued over an extended period of time,” says Mr. Blick.

This is because women, unlike men, do not have a prostate, which supports the male bladder during standing urination.

“Hovering over the toilet seat helps keep your bladder from emptying completely, as the position causes your pelvic floor to become tense,” he says. 'This means that not all the urine can be emptied from your bladder.'

But for men, if they are young and healthy, it does not matter whether they sit or stand to urinate, because there is no difference in the rate of flow or in the rate at which the bladder is emptied.

However, Mr Blick says that men with lower urinary tract symptoms such as a high temperature, cloudy urination and sudden urination – may benefit from sitting to increase flow and empty the bladder.