The Embarrassing Situation of Nocturnal Enuresis in Adults

In the most recent post I wrote, I wrote on bed wetting in children and through that post, we were able to establish that, it could either be a normal developmental process or it could be caused by a medical defect, but in today's post, we will be focused more on bed wetting amongst teenagers and adults who should have stopped bed-wetting based on the normal developmental process.

pexels

In Africa or should I say Nigeria specifically, the moment you begin to bed wet as an adult then it is considered a demonic occurrence that needs to be cast out, but through knowledge, we know that there are medical conditions that can trigger this happening. If an adult bed wets once, it may just be a coincidence and nothing of major concern, but when it becomes a regular thing, then there is a need to seek help.

Nocturnal enuresis normally called bed wetting is the act of accidentally or involuntarily releasing urine while sleeping. In today's blog episode, we will be discussing some possible underlying health conditions that could trigger this occurrence.

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is a hormone in the body that instructs the kidneys to slow down the production of urine, this hormone is often activated around nighttime based on research, but this is not the same for everyone as there are people who have ADH abnormalities. In addition to the abnormalities, some people find it difficult to sleep or wake up on time.

rawpixel

Obstructive sleep apnea can also cause bed wetting in an adult, it is a sleep disorder that makes one stop and start breathing repeatedly. As the sleep apnea condition worsens, it is expected that bed wetting will also worsen.

Tumors from cancerous growth can trigger bed wetting that was not present before.
Having an overactive bladder can also cause problems, detrusor muscles are bladder muscles, they fill up and contract at the appropriate time when it is time to fill up and release accordingly. If the contraction happens at an inappropriate time, uncontrollable urination happens.

UTIs can irritate the bladder, leading to frequent and unexpected urination. This can worsen bed-wetting conditions.

Wikipedia

Some people have bladder functionality problems, in this case, the person's bladder feels more full at a faster level. A person who has such an issue would feel the urge to urinate more often, including during the night time.

With diabetes, the consistency of urination increases as the kidney tries to manage sugar levels. This can lead to frequent and excessive bedwetting. When diabetes is treated, it would ease the different urinary symptoms that may present themselves.

Certain medications can increase bladder contractions and lead to more urination. It may also be a genetic trait that has been shared from one generation to another.

The presence of these neurological disorders can trigger bed wetting, seizure disorders, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Any form of blockage can impair the flow of urine, good examples are kidney stones, tumors, and bladder stones.

For each of the possible triggers of bed wetting, there are medical procedures that can help to stop it. But, certain lifestyle changes can help stop adult bedwetting, especially when the act is not related to any medical condition.

Limit should be set for the consumption of fluid in the evening and at night, more fluid should be consumed during the day when you can easily walk to the bathroom for easing of self. Having an alert that wakes you up at midnight can help too, at least waking up twice at night will reduce the chances of accidental bed wetting happening. Sugar drinks, caffeine, and alcohol should be limited to prevent the reoccurrence of a bedwetting episode.

For Further Studies

https://www.bbuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BBUK-Bedwetting-Adults.pdf

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15075-bedwetting

https://www.healthline.com/health/adult-bed-wetting

https://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/bed-wetting-in-adults

https://nafc.org/adult-bedwetting/

---

---

Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people.