Is it my imagination, or do I pee more during Winter?

If you think you get the sudden urge to go more often when it's cold you'd be right! Believe it or not, that honest-to-goodness I have to go now sensation you feel when a gust of wind blows (still talking weather here!) is real and it's part of your body's process to keep you warm... yup, you heard me right! It fascinated me to learn that the uncertain coincidence to need a wee in colder temperatures actually has a name: Cold Diuresis. It's not entirely clear why this happens and of course, it may not always be connected to the medically-named Cold Diuresis but here are a few scenarios that may explain why you need to pee more during Winter... which can you relate to?

Cold Diuresis

So we've discovered that the phenomenon of urgent release required when temperatures drop actually is a 'thing' and has a name but why does it happen? When you get cold your body's response is to keep you warm; in an effort to maintain heat in your core your body tries to keep heat in and cold out and it does this by not allowing blood to flow to the areas of your body susceptible to cold; your hands and feet / fingers and toes. Your blood now has a smaller area to occupy which naturally results in high blood pressure; but you know how itelligent the human body is, and of course, it has a remedy for this. To reduce the volume of blood thus reducing your blood pressure level, you kidneys work to pull irrelevant liquids from your body, which leads to more liquid in your bladder and... you guessed it, more trips to the loo! Exercise your core muscles to gain greater control over your bladder>

Alcohol

'Tis the season afterall! Statistics show that Brits drink 41% more in December than the annual monthly average - wowzers! Alcohol is a huge irritant to the bladder and will get even the healthiest of water-works dashing to the loo with a sudden urge; not to mention if you already suffer incontinence or an over-active bladder! The perfect solution to long toilet queues >

Weight Gain

With winter comes wooly jumpers comes the perfect way to hide the impact of comfort food on your body. Goodbye salads - Hello double-helpings of buttery mash with your Sunday Dinner! So no-one can see the muffin-top going on under that baggy cashmere but there is a strong tell-tale sign when you're carrying a few more pounds than your body is used to... The additional weight is ultimately supported by your pelvic floor and if you busy these muscles supporting that extra biscuit you had during your coffee break, they have little strength left to support you bladder resulting in you needing to empty it more often... or wishing you had! How to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles > So tell us, why do you think you really have to go a lot more in Winter?