Nocturnal enuresis or bed wetting is mainly associated with night time incidents among infants to children. However, children are not the only sufferers of night time wetting. Adult enuresis are happening to a lot of people worldwide. Adult enuresis could happen due to many reasons.
Adult bedwetting could be categorized as secondary nocturnal enuresis. Bed wetting have two types: the primary and the secondary. Primary enuresis would refer to bed wetting since infancy which is common among kids. Secondary enuresis would refer to bed wetting that occurred after the person has been dry over a long period of time.
There are different causes of adult wetting. It could be due
• Genetics. There are studies showing that if one of the parent has the history of bedwetting, then there are 45% of chances that it could happen to their offspring. This does not only apply on children night time incidents, but also on adult bed wetting.
• Hormonal. The anti-diuretic hormone produced by the body is responsible in sending signals to the kidneys to produce less urine. The production of this kind of hormone increases during night time. If the body does not produce enough ADH then the kidneys will still produce urine. Diseases that commonly affects the production of ADH is diabetes.
• Muscular. There is a muscle in the bladder called the detrusor. The detrusor contracts to negate the urine. However, this could be unstable especially if the body is exposed to different bladder irritants like caffeine and alcohol.
• Medical. There are numerous medical reasons for adult enuresis, it could be urinary tract infection, urinary stones, prostate cancer, prostate enlargement and even bladder cancer. There are also sleeping disorders which are associated with nighttime wetting. Aide from bed wetting, other symptoms could also include night terrors and sweats or sleep walking.
• Medication. There are different kinds of drugs available and used by people nowadays. Drugs and medications could affect with the body and bladder control. In some cases of sleep apnea, drugs taken to avoid other complications could lead to adult wetting.
• Psychological. An adult could experience physical shock or trauma that could lead to “triggering” of enuresis. Emotional distress could also be a reson. This kind of cause or situation is often times, the easiest to treat.
• Natural aging. Aging reduces our body’s control over muscles, sending neurological signals can be slower, reflexes are also slower. Bladder control among older adults could be a problem.
Adult bed wetting could deeply affect a person’s confidence, esteem and their relationship. Because of the fear of getting embarrassed and ashamed, adults who suffer from enuresis tend to hide their condition. It is important to encourage the adult sufferer to open up and talk about their problems. Dealing with these fears would help them get medical help. Normally, fear of getting embarrassed about bed wetting, prevents them from seeking professional and medical help. Family and friends are very important at this stage.
When seeking medical help, doctors would assess the situation to identify what is the primary cause of adult bed wetting. There are different urine management which can be done to help adult sufferers deal with bed wetting like relieving within specific time intervals, fluid management, sometimes with medication and exercising muscles.
