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Claim: A viral WhatsApp post that jumping 15 to 20 times can relieve urine retention in men.
Verdict: There is no scientific evidence to show that jumping relieves urine retention in men. The claim is false.
Full Text
A message recently went viral on WhatsApp with a claim that jumping vigorously 15 to 20 times can relieve urine retention in men. Urinary retention is a condition that makes it difficult to empty the bladder either partially or completely, and it is common in men aged 60 to 80.
The claimant shared the experience of a 70-year-old man who woke up unable to urinate. He purportedly called on his urologist friend, who told him to stand straight and jump vigorously 15 to 20 times. After 5 to 6 jumps, the elderly man felt the urge to urinate. The post has since been forwarded to multiple groups.
In the past, DUBAWA had debunked many claims circulated on WhatsApp as false. Due to the post’s virality and possible implications for public health, DUBAWA also decided to fact-check it.
Verification
According to the National Institutes of Health, urinary retention is related to either a blockage that partially or fully prevents urine from leaving the bladder or urethra or the bladder’s inability to maintain a strong enough force to expel urine.
A 2019 research by Steven Kaplan, an American urologist, found that chronic urinary retention develops over time and may cause few or no symptoms, making it hard to detect. Symptoms may include the inability to empty one’s bladder when urinating, frequent urination in small amounts, difficulty starting the flow of urine, called hesitancy, a slow urine stream, and lower abdominal pain or discomfort.
In another research by Joseph Dougherty, Stephen Leslie, and Narothama Aeddula on male urinary retention, other causes were linked to pelvic, urethral, or bladder trauma, as well as injuries retained during surgical procedures. Urology specialists have said that it is wise to see a healthcare professional if one is unable to urinate or has severe pain in the abdomen.
A senior registrar at the National Hospital, Abuja, Johnson Udodi, told DUBAWA that the claim was false. He advised a man with acute urinary retention to visit the hospital because his obstruction could be due to various causes, including prostate cancer.
“Inability to pass urine despite a full bladder could be due to bladder outlet or urethral obstruction. This could be due to many reasons, ranging from enlarged prostate bladder and stones to neurological problems and urethral obstruction. As men advance in age, their prostate gland enlarges progressively. A 70-year-old man who suffers acute urinary retention should go to a hospital as his obstruction could be from any of the aforementioned causes or even prostate cancer,” he said.
Dr Udodi also stated that it is difficult “to say that what someone claimed as a personal experience is false because you can’t prove that it didn’t indeed happen to him. However, the claim as presented is a veiled reference to prostate problems in older men. They can’t jump their way out of it. In that sense, the portrayal is false.”
Sharing a similar sentiment with Dr Udodi, Babagana Modu, another medical practitioner in Abuja, also urged prostate patients to seek medical help.
“There’s a wide range of causes of acute urinary retention, especially in middle-aged to elderly men, so there’s no one-size-fits-all remedy to these ailments. So it is best to consult a specialist when having such symptoms,” he stated.
Conclusion
No scientific evidence supports the claim that jumping 15 to 20 times relieves urine retention. The claim is false.
The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame Karikari Fellowship, in partnership with Premium Times/UNILAG, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
