Woman in Her 30s Suddenly Develops Sepsis After Holding in Urine Due to Work [Health Talk]

According to The Financial News, a woman who had developed a habit of holding in her urine due to long work shifts ended up with sepsis and faced a life-threatening situation.


On the 27th (local time), The Sun reported that Justin McLellan, a 38-year-old hairdresser living in Scotland, suddenly developed abdominal pain while relaxing at a villa swimming pool in the Republic of Türkiye (Türkiye) last July. At first, she thought it was just constipation, but her condition rapidly deteriorated.
Although the temperature at the time was close to 40 degrees Celsius, Justin complained of severe chills, convulsions, and shivering. Her husband took the symptoms seriously and immediately called for medical help, and she was taken to a hospital. Tests revealed a kidney infection and sepsis, and she was promptly given intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
Justin said, "Because of work, I often couldn’t go to the bathroom when I needed to and kept holding in my urine," adding, "That allowed the infection to spread to my kidneys and eventually into my bloodstream, leading to sepsis." After four days of inpatient treatment, she was discharged with antibiotics. She explained that she survived thanks to the medical staff’s swift response.


Justin, who runs a hair salon, is reported to have worked grueling 12-hour days for years. Her schedule was so packed with back-to-back appointments that she barely had time to use the bathroom, and this lifestyle ultimately took a toll on her health.

She said, "I endured long working hours and fatigue for years, but in the end my body gave out first," and stressed, "This experience made me realize how crucial it is not to ignore the warning signs your body sends you." She is now cutting back her working hours and focusing on achieving a better work-life balance.

A habit like Justin’s of regularly delaying urination for long periods can be extremely harmful to kidney and bladder health. If a urinary tract infection is not treated promptly or keeps recurring, bacteria can travel up the ureters to the kidneys and develop into pyelonephritis, or kidney infection. Long work hours that make bathroom breaks difficult, or drinking too little water, reduce urine output and create an environment where bacteria can more easily multiply.


If a kidney infection worsens, as in Justin’s case, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and trigger sepsis, a condition that causes widespread inflammation throughout the body. Sepsis is a medical emergency that may present with low or high body temperature, chills, extreme fatigue, confusion, and rapid heartbeat. If treatment is delayed, it can lead to organ damage or death.
Medical professionals advise against deliberately holding in urine and recommend urinating regularly about 4–6 times a day, as well as drinking at least 6–8 glasses of water daily to reduce the time bacteria remain in the bladder. If you experience pain while urinating, chills, or abdominal pain, you should not dismiss it as simple constipation or fatigue and should seek medical attention immediately.

hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter