Think twice before you pee in the shower - it could make you prone to bladder leaks, a doctor says

• Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas told her TikTok followers peeing in the shower can cause bladder leaks.
• Peeing in the shower, or while the shower is running, could cause your brain to link the sound of running water with peeing, she said.
• If you have a weak pelvic floor, the sound can trigger the urge to urinate and make you have an accident.

Peeing in the shower might feel convenient if you get the urge to go in the middle of shampooing your hair, but the habit can have some unforeseen consequences, according to a doctor on TikTok.

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a Boston-based doctor of physical therapy, told her 467,000 followers you shouldn't pee in the shower because it can train your brain to associate the sound of running water with urinating.

"If you pee in the shower or turn on the faucet or turn on the shower and then sit on the toilet to pee while the water's running, you're creating an association in your brain between the sound of running water and having to pee," Jeffrey-Thomas said in a TikTok.

According to Jeffrey-Thomas, the brain association, paired with bladder floor dysfunction, could lead to more bladder leaks when you're doing basic tasks like washing the dishes or swimming.

Particularly, peeing in the shower poses a challenge for people assigned female at birth.

"Unfortunately, those of us who were assigned female at birth and have that anatomy were not designed to pee standing up," Jeffrey-Thomas said. "Your pelvic floor isn't going to relax enough which means we're not really going to be emptying out our bladder super well."

Jeffrey-Thomas recommends ignoring the urge to pee when you're in the shower to avoid drawing the connection in your brain. Instead, wait until your shower is over and the sound of running water is off to do your business.