Is it Okay to pee in the shower?
This is the question that you should ask yourself if you are that person who likes peeing in the shower without giving a thought.
While there are rumors that urine contains sterile, a US-based National center for biotechnology information (NCBI) has insisted that it contains dozens of different types of bacteria.
It cites staphylococcus and streptococcus associated with staph infections and strep throat.
Bacteria counts is, however, said to be low in healthy urine but higher when one has urinary tract infection (UTI) or other sexually transmitted diseases.
“It is unlikely that your own urine could cause an infection even if bacteria in the urine made their way into your body through a cut or other wound on your legs or feet,” a medical journal-Healthline reports.
Medics are now recommending that if you are using a shared shower in a dormitory or other facility, you have to ensure that you regularly clean and disinfect it before use.
This is because bacteria causing infections could be present in some urine, there is a chance you could contract infections especially if you have a cut or other open wound on your foot.
Such infections are methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmitted through a shower floor.
Urologists advise to wear a pair of clean shower shoes or flip-flops when using a public shower, especially if you have any cuts, sores, or other openings on the bottom of your foot for your own health.
The infections are said to cause bumps, sores, and blisters on the skin and in severe cases lead to blood poisoning and shock.
These bacteria naturally live in the nose and on the skin and generally don’t cause any harm. However, when they begin to multiply uncontrollably, a MRSA infection can occur.
MRSA infections typically occur when there is a cut or break in your skin, very contagious and can be spread through direct contact with a person who has the infection.
Away from hygiene matters, some physical therapists are warning that you should not pee while taking as shower.
Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, MD, a certified pelvic floor physical therapist cautions that you may be training yourself to urinate on command to the sound of the nozzle spraying.
"If you pee in the shower, or turn on the faucet or turn on the shower while the shower is running, you are creating an association in the brain between the sound of running water and having to pee," she is quoted by Zachary Mark of Bestlife.
