Why Is It Safer For Men To Urinate Sitting Down?

This might be a completely new concept for you to consider. But it is not without its merit. Many guys tend to think of those that sit down to urinate as being less masculine and some who do are even afraid to come out and admit it - they stay in the closet. But there is no need for such shyness because there are a host of health benefits in having a sitting down habit. Thirty percent of males in Japan are already sitting down while the governments of Taiwan, Germany and Sweden are all active in persuading their male population to change their ways on the grounds of health and better hygiene. As a hygiene starter, when you sit, everything is naturally pointing down right at the target. If you stand instead and drop liquid into a bowl of liquid, this can so easily lead to lots of splashing. Whoever cleans the toilets and surrounding areas in your home might be very grateful for a change of habit too! And another advantage? The toilet seat never gets left in the upwards position!

Here are some of those health benefits

• Standing up to urinate activates a host of discreet muscles in the pelvis and the spine which can prevent proper urination. This is particularly a problem in a public toilet when trying to avoid passing any gas at the same time, disrupting a healthy urine flow.

• Sitting down can improve your sex life - in a roundabout way. This is because the bladder empties more efficiently and improved bladder release decreases the risk of prostate problems and so allows for a longer and healthier sex life. So sitting down is good for prostate health too.

• Sitting down makes it easier to just drop your pants instead of fiddling around with zips.

• Sitting down can avoid micturition syncope or, in layman’s terms, fainting during or immediately after urination due to a severe drop in blood pressure. Micturition syncope is most common in older men and usually occurs at night after a deep sleep. And of course if you are standing up rather than sitting down to urinate when this happens, those hard surfaces of a bathroom can be really painful and dangerous to fall onto or against when fainting.

Here is more on the subject of micturition syncope

While the exact cause of micturition syncope isn't fully understood, it may be related to the opening of the blood vessels that occurs when getting up and standing at the toilet or at the rapid emptying of a full bladder. This is thought to result in a sudden drop in blood pressure. Other factors that may play a role in micturition syncope include: alcohol, hunger, fatigue, dehydration, medical conditions such as a respiratory infection or the use of alpha blockers to improve urination in men with prostate problems. Anyone suffering from micturition syncope should of course be checked out by their doctor because it could indicate an underlying medical condition. Sensible precautions should be taken such as avoiding getting out of bed suddenly, remembering to urinate sitting down and having your medications checked for side effects.

A final thought

While you are thinking about changing your own ways, spare some thoughts as to whether (as a parent or grandparent) you might encourage the young boys in your home to get into the habit of urinating sitting down too so that, in time, it becomes the normal way.