While it is not a nice feeling having to suppress the urge to pass urine, many people choose to do so for a variety of reasons, including being busy at work, travelling, lack of access to clean restrooms and even reluctance to excuse themselves to the bathroom when in the company of another person. 

While seemingly harmless, holding urine constantly can cause damage to the organs involved in urine production. There is a term to describe the habit of resisting the urge to urinate in Ayurveda – it is called ‘mutra vega dharana’, and it badly affects the health of a person. 

‘Vega’ is a signal of the body’s need to detoxify, where the body has to void some unwanted things to keep itself pure, sterile and in good health. If these unwanted things are held back it will result in the contamination of the body. 

‘Mutra’ is among the 3 ‘malas’ (metabolic wastes) of the body, the other two being pureesha (stool) and sweda (sweat). Mutra, or urine is the unwanted water or fluid component of the body which has to be voided regularly. 

The expulsion of mutra happens with the help of ‘apana vata’, which is one of the five types of vata located in the lower portion of the body. Regular suppression of the urge to urinate results in the disturbance of apana vata or apana vayu. 

The apana vayu disturbed will tend to move in various directions, mainly in the upward direction. This will put pressure on the urinary bladder, uterus and genital system leading to various disorders. This will damage the urinary bladder and the kidneys, eventually affecting the whole system. 

So, if you have the urge to urinate, it is best to relieve yourself without holding it for too long. Not only is it the most basic, but is also the most healthy thing to do.