You can hold it, sure, but should you?

你可以忍得住，但是這麼做好嗎？

Peeing is pretty important.

上廁所是一件很重要的事。

Your kidneys filter excess water and waste out of your blood and that urine needs somewhere to go—your bladder.

你的腎臟會從血液中過濾多餘的水和廢物，這些液態的廢物 (尿) 會流向某個地方：你的膀胱。

Normally, it will hold one to two cups comfortably but if you make a habit out of holding your pee for long periods of time, you can actually stretch your bladder to easily hold even more.

一般來說，膀胱可以無負擔地容納大約 200 到 400 毫升的液體，但如果你把憋尿變成一種習慣，長久下來你的膀胱會被撐得更大，容量也就更大了。

One study found that nurses who often held it in all day due to job constraints had nearly double the normal bladder capacity and turns out they were totally fine.

有研究指出，因為工作因素而憋尿一整天的護士，他們的膀胱容量大概是一般人膀胱容量的兩倍，而且他們還很健康。

But that doesn't mean that you should hold it in if you can help it 'cause your bladder might not be the only thing to stretch.

但這不表示你該憋尿，就算你憋得住，因為被伸展開來的不只有你的膀胱。

You may also stretch your external sphincter muscles.

你的外括約肌也會被拉開。

Those are important muscles connected to the outside of your bladder that are the gatekeepers of your golden liquid.

那些是與你膀胱的外側相連的重要肌肉，也是顧好你的金色液體的守門員。

Clench them and you hold in the gold.

拉緊它們，金色液體就能好好地被關在膀胱裡。

Relax them and you release the flood, but if you overstretch them, you can actually lose control.

讓這些肌肉放鬆，金色河流就可以疏泄，但如果你過度使用它們，可能會導致它們不聽你的指揮。

This is rare and it usually takes decades of holding it in too long to reach that point but once you do, it can lead to some awkward and even dangerous situations.

不過這樣的狀況很少見，而且通常發生在數十年來都有長久憋尿習慣的人的身上，一旦你的括約肌開始不聽你的指揮，一些尷尬或是危險的情況可能會發生。

For example, with less overall control, you risk leaking urine when your bladder is full and not emptying it all the way when you finally do go.

比如說當你沒辦法完全控制你的擴約肌時，如果你的膀胱是滿的，你可能會面臨漏尿的風險，而且當你終於去解放，可能沒辦法完全排乾淨。

Not only can this increase your need to urinate more often since your bladder fills up quicker, it can also lead to a serious disorder called urinary retention where you end up with too much urine in your bladder for too long.

這不但會造成你更常需要去上廁所，畢竟你的膀胱更容易滿起來，也可能導致一種嚴重的症狀，叫做「尿滯留」，當你總是有太多尿在膀胱裡面。

And since your bladder is basically a warm, wet bag of body waste, it's the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria that will cause all sorts of damage.

再加上膀胱基本上是一個溫暖又潮濕的袋子，裝滿身體的廢棄物，它自然成為一個養殖有害細菌的完美場所，那些細菌會帶來各種對身體的危害。

Even worse, if you're really unlucky and retain too much urine, it may back up into your kidneys.

更糟的是，如果你真的夠衰，讓你的膀胱不斷保留太多尿，這些尿可能會回流腎臟。

This can cause kidney failure and ultimately death.

這可能導致腎衰竭和死亡。

The good news is you're more likely to just lose control of your muscles and pee way before your bladder hits this point.

好消息是，在你的膀胱出現尿液回流的狀況之前，你更有可能會直接因為無法控制你的肌肉而漏尿。

Why not reduce the risk altogether and just go to the bathroom?

何不降低所有可能的風險，在有尿意的時候，就去趟洗手間呢？

Okay, I get it, the movie is absolutely gripping.

好吧，我懂，這部電影超級好看。

Luckily, you'll be fine if you only hold it in for a short time every once in a while.

幸運的是，如果你只是偶爾憋尿，而且不憋太久的話，不會有什麼大問題。

So go ahead, hang in there.

就繼續憋尿吧，撐下去。

Just don't make a habit of it.

只要不要養成習慣就好。

Any other weird science questions you have?

想不想問其他科學相關的怪問題？

Ask us in the comments.

請在底下留言發問。

(screaming)

(尖叫聲)