Here’s what happens to your body when you don’t go to the toilet

1. Severe stomach pains

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The obvious side effect of not going to the toilet would be severe pain in your stomach. Avoiding the toilet for a prolonged period of time can lead to an excess build up in your bowel which often is extremely uncomfortable and painful. Therefore it's of paramount importance that when you have to go, you go!

2. Vomiting up poop

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As disgusting as this may sound, vomiting up your own poop has happened to people before. So next time you decide you're going to hold your poop in, be extremely careful of holding it in for too long, as nobody wants to be vomiting up their own excrement.

3. Nausea

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Going to the toilet is very much something we have to do to survive. Resisting this natural survival instinct unsurprisingly can make you feel very unwell. The mixture of toxins and unwanted waste not being removed from your body, as well the physical discomfort caused by not going to the toilet can both lead to feeling nauseous.

4. You can develop bowel perforation

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If excess stool begins to back up in your intestine, a pressure build up can form and result in a catastrophe. Due to this pressure build up, the intestines could tear, allowing stool to spill into the abdominal cavity. The consequences of this are often life threatening as stool contains harmful bacteria.

5. Bleeding from the anus

Image source/RedditRefusing to use the toilet for a long period of time will result in constipation. Therefore the occasional time you have to go to the toilet, you will likely see some blood when it comes to wiping. The passing of hard stools can cause the anus to tear, these tears are commonly known as anal fissures, and can be extremely itchy and painful.

6. Increased risk for cardiovascular illness

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Heart attacks and other cardiovascular illnesses are associated to chronic constipation. Doctors believe that chronic constipation can increase stress and inflammation in the body, which resulting can lead to added stress on the heart. This isn't necessarily saying every person with constipation has heart problems, but the risk of developing it significantly increases.

7. You can develop Haemorrhoids

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By avoiding the toilet for too long, you will begin to develop serious problems when it eventually is time to go. As a result of struggling on the toilet, your veins in your rectum can become swollen and inflamed, which is a condition known as haemorrhoids.

8. Impaction

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When stool is held in your body for too long, it can start to stick together in your intestines. As this begins to harden and grow larger, the squeezing your colon produces can't shift it out. This results in serious pain and vomiting, as well as a likely trip to hospital to have it removed.

9. Rectal Prolapse

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The final part of your large intestine ends at your anus. If you're constantly avoiding the toilet and begin to develop constipation, when the time comes to squeeze out your stool, the prolonged straining can cause your rectum to stretch and slip outside your body. As you can imagine, this is rather painful and wants to be avoided at all costs.

10. Your immunity can worsen

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Constipation caused from not going to the toilet is commonly associated with damaging our intestinal flora. This is very important as it is responsible for the vast majority of our body's immune response to viruses and pathogens. In addition, the toxic buildup and increased inflammation can also lead to a worsened immune system.

11. Increased risk of SIBO

Image source/Atlas BiomedHolding a poop in for too long is the number one cause of SIBO, otherwise known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. This condition is when bacteria from the large intestine unwantedly finds itself in the small intestine. This condition is thought to be responsible for up to 80% of IBS cases.

12. You may feel fatigued

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Having constipation and fatigue typically go hand-in-hand. A decrease in your healthy intestinal flora can lead to a decrease in nutrient absorption, which is likely to reduce your body's energy levels. In addition, the increase of toxic chemicals building up inside your body may also play a role in a lack of energy.

13. Your weight can increase

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Besides the obvious initial weight gain from holding in your poop, scientist have also began to show that an imbalance in your intestinal flora can cause weight gain and obesity. In addition, the imbalance of hormones caused from constipation, especially oestrogen, can result in weight gain.

14. Increase chance of acne breakout

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One side effect that is associated with the build up of toxic chemicals via not going to the toilet is acne and bad skin breakouts. This is caused when the toxins and waste products in your body get reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, rather than being excreted. So by holding in your poop for too long, you're essentially allowing it back into your skin- How gross!

15. Your hormones can become imbalanced

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Constipation can result in the excretion of unwanted oestrogen, as well as a promotion in the reabsorption of it. Many of us already have higher oestrogen levels due to the processed foods we eat and certain medications, so being constipated can result in the reabsorption of the excess oestrogen.

16. Your hair can become thinner

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As you may have already established, having a healthy level of flora in the gut is important when it comes to our health. A lack of it can result in nutritional deficiencies, as well as natural toxins re-entering the bloodstream. This can often result in the thinning of your hair.

17. Increased risk of appendicitis

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As you start to hold in your poop, the blockage can cause your appendix serious trouble.  This blockage can greatly increase the pressure in the appendix and decrease blood flow. Both of these combined with a spike in bacterial growth can lead to major tissue damage and even the appendix bursting.

18. Your mental health could worsen

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For a while constipation has been a well known side affect for anxiety and depression, but recent research has begun to show the importance of intestinal flora for the brains function. So avoiding going to the toilet can make you feel even more down, especially if your mental health is fragile to begin with.

19. You may become unable to urinate

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By holding in your pee for such a prolonged time, you could eventually completely lose the ability to urinate. Obviously if this does happen to you for some reason, you must urgently see a doctor and get checked out. But not holding your pee in for so long to start with is probably a better idea .

20. Your chances of developing a UTI increases

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A Urinary Tract Infection or UTI for short can be caused by holding pee in for too long. Bacteria can multiply as a result of not peeing which resultantly leads to an increase risk of UTIs. If you're a person with a history of frequent UTIs then you're at even more risk!

21. Your chances of developing colon cancer increases

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One study managed to find that people who regularly held stool in could permanently inflame the inner lining of the colon. As a result of this, they had a significantly higher bacterial count which is a big risk factor for developing colon cancer. Not to mention it can be extremely painful!

22. Your nails can become brittle

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Very similar to your hair thinning, brittle nails are also a common side effect of a low gut flora. The imbalance of gut flora can be very damaging for your health. Despite this not seeming as severe as some other side effects of constipation, it does have a big impact on your overall health and wellbeing.

23. Incontinence (Can't hold your pee in!)

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While some people who hold their pee in for too long lose the ability to urinate, others suffer from the opposite case. Holding your pee in for too long could easily result in your bladder giving out to the strain and uncontrollably "wetting" yourself - how nasty!

24. Your stress levels can increase

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Not going to the toilet doesn't just put your body under stress, it only gives your brain a significantly greater amount of stress. The urge to go to the toilet is one of our body's natural instincts, so resisting this not only is physically discomforting, but it can be extremely stressful and draining mentally.

25. Your pee will turn a funny colour

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If you find yourself for some unknown reason holding your pee in for too long, don't be shocked to find it having a rotten smell and a dark orange color. While you hold your pee in for too long, due to the bacteria build up, it will begin to turn a funny orangey color. Not to forgot it will stink your bathroom out!

26. Not passing gas

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When you think of not going to the toilet, you probably think of holding in the solids and liquids. Not being able to pass gas is also a common effect of not going to the toilet. Due to the long list of previously stated gut and bowl complexities, passing gas can become a significant issue after avoiding going to the toilet.

27. Your relationship with going to the toilet could worsen

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Avoiding going to the toilet for too long can make your relationship with the toilet very dysfunctional. You could cause your mind to play tricks with you and even lead to you fearing going to the toilet. It's not exactly common but there have been some reported cases of this happening.

28. Pooping yourself

Image source/DUDE WipesOne of the most common consequences of holding your poop in for too long is the eventual inability to hold it in. For some the pain and discomfort would become too overwhelming, leading to a highly embarrassing and rather uncomfortable mess. You've heard the saying, "if you've gotta go, you've gotta go"!

29. You will save money on toilet paper

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One obvious effect of not going to the toilet is saving money on toilet role. Every poop you hold in is one less to wipe! While this is probably one of the only benefits on this list, there are far better ways to save money, and far more comfortable ones too.

30. You will miss out on that extra break

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Everyone knows that going to the toilet is in easy break from work, whether you're in elementary school or full time employment. Not going to the toilet is the 10 minutes extra of work you need to do each day. So next time you decide to hold it in, think smart and take a break.