Your bathroom is often the place where your mind is at its most active, a personal space where thoughts flow freely. But in today's digital age, this once-private moment is now shared with your smartphone, making it easier to ignore your body's natural cues. Whether you're at work, in public, or even around a significant other, many people hesitate to use the restroom when nature calls. But do you ever consider how bad it is to hold off on bathroom breaks?

Bragging about holding in pee or poop for a long time isn't a flex—it's unhealthy. Doing it over and over can cause your bladder to weaken, strain your colon, and lead to severe health complications such as infection, constipation, and even kidney disease. Listen to your body; holding off can cause long-term effects that aren't worth the risk.

Denying your body the opportunity to dispose of waste can result in a number of health complications, from mild discomfort to serious digestive and urinary complications. While at times holding it in may not have long-term effects, developing it as a habit can have disastrous consequences on your overall health.

We have all at some time or another pushed the need to use the bathroom, because of a critical meeting, an uncomfortable social situation, or just plain obstinacy. Holding it every now and then is probably not going to cause lasting harm, but repeated holding can cause serious health consequences.

As you hold bowel movements, your colon will keep drawing water out of the stool, so it becomes drier, harder, and more difficult to pass. This raises the potential for constipation, which has the potential to cause painful hemorrhoids and anal fissures. These tiny ruptures in the lining of the anus can create a great deal of pain as well as bleed. In some cases, habitual retention of stool can result in fecal impaction, with hardened stool remaining lodged in the colon and requiring professional help.

How Long Can You Hold It?

The effect of postponing a bathroom visit also depends on individuals. While a 1-2 hour hold might develop bloating or slight discomfort, holding it for several hours may cause serious problems.

1-2 Hours: Slight discomfort, bloating, and accumulation of gases.

4-5 Hours: More water from the stool is absorbed by the colon, which becomes difficult to pass.

10+ Hours: Higher chance of constipation, pain, and straining to pass stool.

Chronic Holding: Potential injury to the rectal muscles, resulting in long-term bowel abnormalities.

Repetitive holding of stool can, over time, stretch and weaken the colon muscles, causing long-term gastrointestinal problems like chronic constipation or even bowel disorders caused by bacterial imbalances.

What are the Risks of Holding Your Pee?

In contrast to stool, urine builds up more quickly, and not urinating on time has consequences of its own. The bladder that carries urine is meant to hold about one pint (or two cups) of fluid. When you always hold urine, though, the bladder elongates past its normal capacity, and the muscles that are supposed to empty it might get weakened.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Delayed urination provides a time for the bacteria to grow in the urinary tract, raising the chances of infection.

Bladder Dysfunction: With time, muscles of the bladder can weaken, such that it is hard to fully empty the urine. This can result in chronic urinary retention, when urine stays in the bladder even after visiting the bathroom.

Kidney Stones: For those with a history of kidney stones, holding urine in can lead to stone development because minerals in urine can form crystals when not cleared out regularly.

Pelvic Floor Damage: Constantly holding urine puts stress on the pelvic floor muscles, which help to maintain bladder function. Eventually, this can result in urinary incontinence.

Can Holding It In Make You Sick?

In extreme cases, withholding bathroom use can result in vomiting and nausea. If stool or urine is not released on time, waste can accumulate in the intestines or bladder, leading to pain and, in extreme cases, infection or obstruction. If nausea or vomiting happens after long-term stool retention, it can be a sign of a serious condition that needs urgent medical attention.

Tips for Building Healthy Bathroom Habits

To prevent the issues involved with procrastination when taking bathroom breaks, use these easy tips:

Listen to Your Body: Do not push it to the limit and delay visiting the restroom. It is best to go immediately as soon as the urge hits.

Schedule Bathroom Breaks Regularly: If your work is demanding, make a routine to take regular trips to the restroom so you won't hold it for a long time.

Stay Hydrated: Drinking lots of water keeps stools soft and removes toxins from the urinary tract.

Consume High-Fiber Foods: Eating foods rich in fiber facilitates regular bowel movements and prevention of constipation.

Practice Good Hygiene: Keeping good restroom habits can avoid infections and ensure long-term digestion and urinary health.

While an occasional delay in using the restroom is not a cause for alarm, making it a habit can lead to uncomfortable and sometimes serious health issues. Your body sends signals for a reason, ignoring them can have long-term consequences. So the next time nature calls, don’t ignore it, your health depends on it.

Atorvastatin Recall 2025: Statins have long been the first-line treatment for high cholesterol, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed a nationwide recall of over 140,000 bottles of a cholesterol-lowering medication. Officials flagged that some pills may not dissolve properly after ingestion, potentially reducing effectiveness for patients who rely on them daily.

The recall affects Atorvastatin Calcium, the generic version of Lipitor, which is taken by roughly 39 million Americans, most of them adults over 40, according to Dr. Tamanna Singh of the Cleveland Clinic. Federal records show that the recalled batches were manufactured by Alkem Laboratories and distributed by Ascend Laboratories in New Jersey. The FDA’s September 19 enforcement report found that several batches failed quality tests designed to ensure proper dissolution of the pills.

If the pills dissolve inconsistently or more slowly than intended, the medication may not deliver the expected cholesterol-lowering effect. The FDA classified the recall as a Class II action, indicating moderate concern. While temporary or reversible side effects could occur, the likelihood of serious harm is low.

Atorvastatin Recall: Which Atorvastatin Tablets Are Affected

The recall covers multiple strengths and bottle sizes of Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets, which are among the most commonly prescribed statins globally. Affected formulations include:

• 10 mg – 90, 500, and 1,000 tablets per bottle
• 20 mg – 90, 500, and 1,000 tablets per bottle
• 40 mg – 90, 500, and 1,000 tablets per bottle
• 80 mg – 90 and 500 tablets per bottle

Cholesterol Medication Recalled: Safe Alternatives to Atorvastatin

If you are affected by the recall, there are several alternatives to help manage cholesterol levels effectively:

1. Ezetimibe (Zetia)

Ezetimibe is often recommended when a statin alone doesn’t sufficiently lower cholesterol. It may be used if you are on the maximum statin dose but your cholesterol remains high, or alongside statins such as atorvastatin or simvastatin for conditions like homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Ezetimibe works by blocking cholesterol absorption in the small intestine, causing the body to use up more cholesterol from the blood. It is one of the few non-statin medications that can further reduce LDL cholesterol, either alone or combined with statins or other alternatives.

2. Fibrates (e.g., gemfibrozil, fenofibrate)

Fibrates mainly target high triglyceride levels, a type of fat in the blood linked to heart disease and pancreatitis, and can also mildly lower LDL cholesterol. They can be taken alone, with ezetimibe, or with a statin. However, combining gemfibrozil with a statin may increase side effects, so caution is advised.

3. Bile Acid Sequestrants (e.g., cholestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam)

Bile acid sequestrants lower cholesterol by binding bile acids in the intestine, preventing their reabsorption. The liver then uses more cholesterol from the blood to produce new bile acids, reducing LDL cholesterol.

Potential drawbacks include:

• Multiple pills per day may be needed
• Possible interactions with other medications or vitamins, which can reduce effectiveness
• May increase triglyceride levels
• Can cause constipation or stomach upset

Imagine sitting down to a juicy, perfectly cooked steak on a warm evening, and hours later you’re hit with terrible stomach cramps, itchy hives, and swelling so bad you might need to rush to the ER. The weird part? It’s not food poisoning, and the steak wasn’t bad. What’s actually happening is your own immune system is reacting, because of a tiny tick bite you got weeks or even months ago, one you probably don’t even remember.

What Is Alpha Gal Syndrome?

Alpha-gal syndrome is a food allergy that can develop after a tick bite, leading to allergic reactions to red meat and products made from it. While several types of ticks can trigger it, the lone star tick is the most common culprit. Not everyone who gets bitten will develop the allergy, but repeated bites can increase the risk or worsen symptoms, as per Cleveland Clinic.

What Can Trigger an Alpha-gal Reaction?

You may have an allergic reaction to:

• Meat from mammals, such as beef, pork, or lamb
• Foods or products made with animal fat
• Certain medications
• Cow’s milk and dairy products

Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals (except humans) and in tick saliva. Not everyone who is bitten by a tick develops alpha-gal syndrome, and you might not react to every food or product that contains it.

Symptoms of Alpha-gal Syndrome

Alpha-gal syndrome can cause reactions ranging from mild to life-threatening. Common symptoms include:

• Skin changes, like itching, hives, or flushing
• Swelling of lips, eyelids, throat, tongue, or face (angioedema)
• Respiratory issues, such as cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing
• Digestive problems, including stomach pain, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, or vomiting
• Dizziness or fainting
• Joint pain

Timing of Symptoms

Unlike most food allergies, reactions to alpha-gal can occur two to six hours after eating meat or dairy. Medications containing alpha-gal may trigger a faster reaction.

Causes of Alpha-gal Syndrome

Alpha-gal syndrome develops after a tick bite, most commonly from the lone star tick, though bites from black-legged (deer) ticks and other species can also cause it. Ticks carry alpha-gal molecules in their saliva, and exposure during a bite can make your immune system recognize alpha-gal as a threat, triggering an allergy.

Experts aren’t certain why some people develop the allergy while others do not. Repeated tick bites can worsen symptoms or make reactions more frequent.

What Is Lone Star Tick?

The lone star tick is a tiny bug, sometimes as small as a poppy seed. Adult female lone star ticks are easy to identify by the white dot on their backs, the “lone star.” They are commonly found in and around wooded areas across the Midwestern and Eastern United States.

Having alpha-gal syndrome is not just about giving up burgers or steaks. Like other food allergies, it can affect a range of products you may need to avoid. While caution is important, most people with AGS won’t react to every item that contains alpha-gal, and for some, symptoms may improve within a few years. Your healthcare provider can guide you on which foods to steer clear of and what to expect in your individual case.

Sniffles and other symptoms often mistaken for a winter virus such as Covid or flu could actually be caused by something else, according to a pharmacist. George Sandhu, deputy superintendent at Well Pharmacy, explained that pollen allergies are now extending into autumn as seasons stretch longer.

He said: “Warmer temperatures are lengthening growing seasons, so pollen counts are higher than in past decades. Rising carbon dioxide levels don’t just warm the planet, they also act like a fertiliser for plants, increasing pollen production.”

What Is a Pollen Allergy?

A pollen allergy happens when your immune system reacts to pollen, which is a fine powder released by trees, grasses, and weeds during reproduction. In people with this allergy, the immune system mistakes pollen for a harmful substance and releases chemicals such as histamine.

This can trigger symptoms like sneezing, runny or blocked nose, itchy or watery eyes, and throat irritation. This condition is commonly called hay fever and tends to appear during certain times of the year when specific plants are blooming, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Sandhu added that milder winters are allowing some plants to start producing pollen earlier in spring and continue later into autumn. He noted: “Late summer also sees a shift from weed pollen to increased indoor mould, leaf mould, and dust mites, which all peak during autumn. Combined with damp autumn conditions, people with allergies now face a much longer ‘high-risk window’ every year.”

Types of Pollen Allergens

The pharmacist explained the three main types of allergens:

• Weed pollen: including ragweed, mugwort, plantain, nettle, dock, goosefoot, and sorrel.
• Mould spores: thrive in damp autumn conditions and can be found in rotting leaves, compost heaps, soil, as well as bathrooms, kitchens, and other damp areas.
• House dust mites: found in bedding, carpets, soft toys, and fabrics.

Best Treatment for a Pollen Allergy

The best way to manage pollen allergies depends on how severe they are and what suits your body. What helps one person may not work for another. A healthcare provider can recommend the most effective treatment. According to Sandhu, “Antihistamines can relieve sneezing, runny nose, and itching, for example, cetirizine or loratadine. Nasal corticosteroid sprays, such as fluticasone or mometasone, reduce inflammation and congestion. Decongestants may give short-term relief for a blocked nose, but they shouldn’t be used long-term. Saline sprays or rinses can help clear allergens from the nose, and eye drops can soothe itchy, watery eyes.”

Can Allergy Shots Work Against Pollen Allergy?

Allergy shots gradually retrain your immune system to tolerate pollen. They involve a series of injections containing pollen, with the dose slowly increased over time. This helps your body build tolerance. Allergy shots are administered by a healthcare provider.

While it is impossible to avoid pollen completely, you can change some daily habits to reduce exposure. For instance, try not to be outside on warm, windy spring days when pollen levels are high. Pollen counts are usually highest in the early morning and early afternoon.