New technology could help your bladder

We all love movies – they take us to a place of adventure, romance and even suspense. It seems like the next big blockbuster is being released every weekend and there are endless lineups just to catch the first glimpse. Although movies can be a great form of entertainment, or a fun date-night idea, they can wreak havoc on your bladder.

Let me clarify – the movie itself does not harm your bladder, but those extra-large drinks and two-hour movies can. We sit in a dark room, mindlessly sipping away on our sodas, not wanting to miss the next plot-twist or suspenseful scene; unfortunately, as we keep sipping, our bladders are becoming fuller and fuller. The next thing you know you need to urinate, but do you dare to get up, disturbing those in your row and attempting to come back in to a pitch-black theater? Heck, no! But you pay the price when you develop an infection or worse – have an accident.

This scenario is even worse for a person who already suffers from an overactive bladder or bladder incontinence. In fact, they may even be deterred from stepping foot in a theatre for this very reason. Regardless of health, your bladder need not despair any longer: a new phone app has come to the rescue!

Phone app helps relieve bladder

A new app has been developed to help you know exactly when it’s okay to use the bathroom during a movie. The app is called RunPee, developed by Dan Florio, and it picks out three to four minute segments in movies where there is no plot-twist, funny moment or story reveal. The app notifies you when the scene is coming up so you have time to get up from your seat and relieve yourself.

The best part is that when you’re in the bathroom the app will provide a synopsis of what you’re missing, so it’s like you never even left in the first place.

The app is continuously updated as movies are released so you can essentially go right after the release date.

Shorter movies are better for your bladder – and for Hollywood

If a movie is good, you probably don’t have any issue sitting through the whole two or 2.5 hours. But long movies can be bad for business. A short movie can be played more frequently in a theatre, thus bringing in more money. And on a more bladder-friendly note, 90-minute films are the ideal length for your bladder as well.

Why you should never hold in your pee

If you’re notorious for holding in your pee – whether at a movie or just on a daily basis – you’re doing your body an injustice. Here are the consequences of holding in your urine, which we hope will make you think twice about doing it again.

• Bacteria grows that can lead to infection – if untreated it can move to the kidney, leading to kidney damage.
• Bacteria can move to the bloodstream, which causes symptoms similar to dementia and can lead to a misdiagnosis.
• It weakens bladder muscles, putting you at higher risk of having an accident.
• You can weaken the signal between your bladder and your brain, so you won’t know when you need to pee.
• It causes pain and discomfort.

If you want to avoid the complications related to holding in your pee, it is suggested that you go when nature calls – and also consider downloading the movie app so you can take as many bathroom breaks as you need without ever missing a moment.