'Peeing' Case on Flight: Man Urinates in Sleep After Drinking, Could it Happen to You? Hormone Decides

A passenger on a New York-New Delhi American Airlines flight allegedly urinated on a fellow male passenger after drinking and falling asleep, reports said. The incident allegedly took place on flight number AA292, which took off from New York at 9.16 pm on Friday and landed after 14 hours and 26 minutes of flying at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here at 10.12 pm on Saturday. “We have received a complaint of urination on co-passenger from American Airlines against one person — Arya Vohra, aged 20 — who is a student in USA and resident of Defence Colony (in) Delhi. We are taking necessary legal action,” a senior Delhi Police officer said. Read more on this

“The accused is a student in a US university. He was in a state of inebriation and urinated while he was asleep. It somehow leaked and fell on a fellow passenger who complained to the crew,” DCP IGI airport said.

This is the second such incident in the last few months where a flyer relieved himself on a fellow passenger. In the first case, which made headlines, the accused did so in an inebriated state.

On November 26, on a New York-Delhi Air India flight, a man named Shankar Mishra had allegedly urinated in a drunken state on an elderly woman. That incident came to light almost a month later through a media report, after which an FIR was lodged and Mishra arrested. He was released on bail after spending nearly a month in jail. The DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for not reporting the matter within 12 hours of the incident in accordance with the norm.

There is no dearth of cases where people are unable to hold their pee ‘after a night of drinking.’ Why does this happen? News18 explains:

Does Alcohol Cause Urinary Incontinence?

As per a report by National Association for Continence, alcohol does not induce incontinence on its own, it can be a trigger for those who are prone to bladder leaks.

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it increases urine production and can cause a person to need to use the restroom more frequently. Not only that, but alcohol irritates the bladder, exacerbating overactive bladder symptoms. If you experience incontinence, it is good to try to avoid alcohol, the report says.

Further, a report by Men’s Health explains that symptoms of bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, often increases after a night of drinking in men.

According to James Ulchaker, M.D., a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic, the primary piece of the jigsaw is something called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). When you’re sober, ADH’s function is to prevent urine production—it signals your kidneys to preserve water so you don’t pee out your entire body’s cache, the report says.

A Hormone at Play

The report explains that drinking alcohol actually decreases the release of ADH. Since the kidneys can not reabsorb water, when you drink, you will produce more pee, Dr. Ulchaker told Men’s Health.

Its influence does not end when you put down the bottle and retire to bed: “Depending on how much and how late you drink, this inhibition of ADH might last all night—even while you’re asleep,” the report says.

It implies your body produces a lot more pee while you’re sleeping than it does when you’re awake. If you’re awake, you’ve probably noticed this urge and gone to the restroom. But if you’re dead asleep—even if you’ve only been drinking for a couple of hours—you might miss it, the report says.

Detrusor Muscle

Alcohol also irritates the detrusor muscle, which is located on the bladder wall and signals when you need to pee, says a report by Cleveland Clinic. If you’re passed out and your inhibitions have been weakened by alcohol, you may miss the signals from this muscle and pee in your sleep.

What Can Help?

In such cases, it might be best to visit a healthcare professional to ascertain whether you face any incontinence problems in general, and tailor your activities – down to drinking on a flight, accordingly.

As per a report by Cleveland Clinic, caffeine should be avoided before drinking activities. Avoid extra caffeinated beverages throughout the day or limit your fluids intake, if you’re going to be drinking.

And instead of a pitcher of beer, try a gin and tonic or another mixed cocktail, the report recommends, adding that an extra trip to the restroom right before bed/sleeping would also help.

With inputs from PTI

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