Have you ever noticed that you don’t seem to have to pee when you’re stuck in traffic on Paseo Del Norte, but as you get closer to home, you suddenly feel like you cant hold it. Or if the same happens with number 2. I notice this when I get home from a weekend camping trip.
It’s called “latchkey incontinence,” occurs because a situational cue comes from the brain.
The brain and bladder communicate throughout the day to ensure we are peeing when it’s appropriate. For example, when we’re in the middle of a long car ride with no rest stops in sight, the brain essentially tells the bladder to lay low until a bathroom is nearby.