Posted by Jennifer Hines. Bed-wetting also known as sleep enuresis and urinary incontinence is a fairly common condition in young children and is seen as a sign of an immature, developing bladder. In fact, most doctors don't consider bed-wetting in children to be a sign of a problem unless the child is older than seven years old, or the child has begun wetting the bed again after six months of maintaining overnight bladder control. However, when adults wet the bed it is often an indication of an underlying illness, disease, or a symptom of other untreated medical conditions. For adults, wetting the bed can not only be a devastatingly embarrassing condition, but it is often a sign of other medical troubles. If you're an adult who frequently wets the bed, it's a good idea to discuss your symptoms with your primary care provider to find the root cause of your problem. Here is a list of common causes of sleep enuresis. One of the first places to look for causes of urinary incontinence is whether there is a family history of bed-wetting. Discovering the cause of bed-wetting can be tricky as it is often an underlying cause of another medical condition. When seeking treatment for your nocturnal enuresis you can expect one or more of the following routine tests.
Causes of adult bed-wetting
Talking To Your Doctor About Adult Bedwetting
There's no shame in recognizing that you have a problem with adult bedwetting. In fact, accepting that your body is not functioning the way you'd like it to is the first step towards treatment - and you'll be happy to hear that real, effective treatments are available. Simply put, there's no reason why anyone shouldn't have a dry night - and that includes you. It's worth noting that bedwetting in adults is actually different than what children go through.
What is nocturnal enuresis?
Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is the involuntary release of urine during sleep. Bedwetting can be a symptom of bladder control problems like incontinence or overactive bladder or more severe structural issues, like an enlarged prostate or bladder cancer. Studies shows that 1 to 2 percent of adults wet the bed, though researchers think that statistic is underreported due to the embarrassing nature of the problem. Rather than hiding your secret, you should explore effective treatments that can help lessen the likelihood of bedwetting and reduce the anxiety of going to sleep at night. NOTE: This section focuses on bedwetting when it affects adults. The body produces an antidiuretic hormone at night called ADH, which slows the kidney's production of urine while you sleep.
Bed-wetting that starts in adulthood secondary enuresis is uncommon and requires medical evaluation. Erik P. Castle, M. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
