We talked about long movies and intermissions a while ago, specifically, the fact that some people cannot hold their pee long enough to watch three-hour films on the big screen. An intermission would help us all.
First, the viewer with a small bladder can take a bathroom break without missing critical sections of the film. Secondly, the rest of us can avoid that disruption that usually occurs whenever someone squeezes through the aisles to reach the bathroom.
Unfortunately, I don’t expect cinemas in this country to adopt intermissions anytime soon. But that raises a question. What then? If you have a small bladder, are you destined to watch all your favourite films at home on a 36-inch screen? Not necessarily. The human bladder is an elastic organ capable of holding 500-600ml of urine.
The bladder has receptors that alert the brain when the organ is full. One Medline Plus article noticed that people feel the urge to pee once they have 240ml of urine (one cup) in their bladder. But even when the bladder fills beyond this capacity, the urine won’t flow because the bladder walls can relax to expand the organ, creating room for more urine.
The sphincter muscles squeeze to prevent the urine from escaping the bladder through the urethra. It can take nine hours for a bladder to fill. In other words, you can probably hold your pee for nine hours without causing harm. That said, adults can pee four to ten times a day, depending on their drinking habits.
And as I mentioned at the start, some people have tiny bladders. They can easily pee two times during a three-hour film. What then can these individuals do to survive the increasingly long runtimes attached to Hollywood films?
We can start with the obvious. Go to the bathroom before you enter the cinema. In fact, go twice. It can take up to 30 minutes for a film to start because the cinema plays so many trailers and ads. Go to the restroom after arriving at the cinema, and then once more after sitting through that initial 30-minute lull before the movie starts.
Even if you don’t feel like it, leave the cinema and walk to the bathroom. You never know what might happen. Naturally, you should avoid fluids in the hours leading up to the movie. Remember that many adults urinate every three to four hours. Keep those numbers in mind on the day you have decided to visit the cinema.
Yes, you can buy soda and water for the film but don’t drink anything until the movie starts. Enter the cinema, place your drinks on the floor, and wait patiently. Don’t forget that alcohol and caffeine are diuretics. They will make you pee more frequently than usual.
So, pay attention if your evening at the movies involves a meal beforehand. According to Healthline, tea, coffee, soda, hot chocolate, and energy drinks contain caffeine. Therefore, you should watch your intake of those beverages.
Drugs are another essential factor. Doctors typically prescribe diuretics to patients with high blood pressure, heart, and kidney conditions. If you don’t take prescribed drugs, alcohol, or caffeine, but you can’t hold your pee for more than an hour or two, you should consider visiting a doctor.
Conditions like tachycardia (heartbeat exceeding 120 beats per minute for thirty or more minutes) can lead to frequent urination.
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Source: The Observer
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