Why Josh Brolin's message about peeing his pants is important
Josh Brolin, who turned 50 this February, posted a snap of himself on Instagram wearing shorts covered in his own pee.
Josh Brolin just revealed a not-so-glamorous truth about getting older: random incontinence. The actor, who turned 50 in February, posted a photo of himself on Instagram this past Friday wearing shorts covered in, you guessed it, spray.
"Stoked about pissing all over myself again," he captioned the post. "One of the great gifts about turning 50 is the sudden, biological changing out of your shower head.
"What used to be a rush of garden hose now seems to have morphed into a multidirectional sprinkler," he continued. "Just want to let everyone know what there is to look forward to — those who haven't reached this incredibly illuminating milestone."
Brolin's post may seem like a little TMI to the more squeamish among us, but Gary Leach, M.D., director of the Tower Urology Institute for Continence at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells LIVESTRONG.COM that incontinence among older men is pretty common. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than half of adults above the age of 65 struggle to control their urination.
"As men get older, their prostate starts to enlarge, and as a result of some blockage due to the enlargement of the prostate, the bladder becomes overactive," Dr. Leach says. When a male's bladder becomes overactive, he might feel that "gotta go now" urge and may not make it to the bathroom on time.
What's more, older men sometimes experience dribbling after they urinate, which, if they're impatient to zip up and leave, can end up on their underwear and pants.
Medications, such as silodosin (brand name Rapaflo), can help men to manage their incontinence by relaxing the prostate and bladder. If you're experiencing some leakage or constantly feeling the need to go to the bathroom, Dr. Leach also recommends cutting back on coffee, tea and alcohol, which can irritate the bladder.
Brolin might be dealing with some later-in-life growing pains, but hitting the big 5-0 hasn't been all bad news for him. He's been killing it in his career, appearing in blockbusters like "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Deadpool 2."
Plus, his wife Kathryn Boyd is pregnant with their first child together, adding to his brood of two adult children from a previous relationship.
While Brolin's Instagram post might be a little off-putting, we're glad that he's spreading awareness about an issue faced by more than half of the older-adult population.
Read more: French Women Don't Have Bladder Incontinence After Childbirth (and Neither Should American Moms)
What Do YOU Think?
Do you ever have to deal with incontinence? Do you think Brolin's post is funny or kind of gross (or both)? Share in the comments section!