Yes, you read it right. You may never know it, but adults are prone to wet nights—not those associated with male discharges. What is being referred here is the type of condition that is more common to children, which is bed wetting or enuresis. This condition occurs when a person, young or adult, urinates during sleep. Studies have shown that roughly 2 percent of adults within the age range of 16 and 60 wet the bed a couple of night every week.
Of course, adult enuresis is very embarrassing.
It is enough reason to get teased by friends and colleagues and to shun friendships, relationships, and enjoyable activities in life. However, adult bed wetters must recognize the fact that they have the condition and need to seek medical help.
The first step in properly dealing with adult enuresis is determining its possible causes.
* Stress. Stressful situations and emotional struggles may cause a person to pee during his sleep. There are ways to manage stress and control enuresis. These include listening to music, performing relaxation and breathing techniques, or engaging in sports and physically challenging activities.
* Natural aging process. As people age, their body deteriorates. This leads to slower movements and reflexes. Thus, the older an adult gets, his urinary control decreases.
* Fluid intake. Drinking excessive amounts of liquid just before hitting the sack may cause a person to wet his bed.
* Coffee, tea, and alcohol. Coffee, tea, soda, and other beverages with caffeine content trigger production of more urine in the body. Alcohol, for its part, makes the control in the bladder muscle weaker. Avoid these drinks especially at night to keep yourself from wetting the bed.
* Diuretic medications. There are drugs that can trigger enuresis. For example diuretics are taken to prevent heart failure caused by kidney problems. However, taking the drug can take its toll on your urination control at night.
* Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) imbalance. ADH controls the release of urine by the urinary system. If the body lacks this hormone, chances are the person will experience wet nights.
* Urinary tract infection (UTI). UTI can cause problems in releasing urine from the body especially during sleep. A tumor or swelling in the lower urinary tract can also cause involuntary wetting at night.
So what’s the best thing to do if you are prone to wetting the bed? First, you can train your bladder to empty urine at particular time intervals.
Pelvic muscle exercises are a good way to be able to control urination at nighttime. This workout, which makes the bladder muscles stronger, must be done two to three times every day for at least four weeks.
If you are taking diuretic drugs, take them during the day or at least eight hours before bedtime. Visit your doctor to find out the medication options you have to be able to cure enuresis.
Controlling adult bed wetting is no different from that of children. The only difference is that you are in charge of your own body (not your parent), so be careful when considering the different treatment options available for your condition.