The Shiver, The Shake, Why Does Our Body Do That When We Tinkle?
You don't know how hard I had to work on getting that headline to be socially acceptable yet still translate to you the reader what we are really talking about. Today's mystery I am trying to unravel is one that occurs mostly in the male population. I don't know any women who have these. It's that twitch, jerk, or uncontrollable shutter that blasts through our body right after we get through urinating.
Many moms, housekeepers, and washroom attendants will tell you we actually aren't quite done with our stream when the shiver occurs. That's why it seems as if our aim is so poor. See there is an actual scientific reason why you don't want to wear sandals in the men's room.
What actually happens when we get a pee shiver? Based upon my research the "shiver" generally occurs at the very tail end of a bathroom episode in which you've really needed to empty your bladder. Most theories suggest that the shiver is related to a drop in blood pressure. It seems in order for the body to go pee, the blood pressure has to relax just a bit to allow the stream to start.
It's this drop in blood pressure that causes the body to react with a jolt of adrenaline. Remember most of the "shivers" occur after a long urination session. That means the blood pressure in the body has been operating at a lower than optimal range for a significant amount of time. That lower blood pressure is less than what the brain is used to.
This lower blood pressure triggers the fight or flight response in the brain. That means a burst of adrenaline is sent coursing through our veins. The muscles get this jolt and react like they've been shocked. This triggers the shiver and causes the mess around the base of the toilet and or urinal.
That's why you don't get a pee shiver every time you go. I would imagine that women don't get them because they are smart enough to go to the bathroom when their body tells them to go.
Still there are other theories as to why we shake and twitch when we're draining the goose. They all have to do with chemical changes in the body caused by the release of urine from the bladder. Some suggest it's a nervous system issue while others say it's more of a muscular thing.
Granted this isn't the most palatable subject you could ever read about on the internet but you have to admit, you've wondered what caused it and now you know.