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When children wet their beds, no one is concerned. It is perfectly normal for children to wet their beds. It is a particular case to find children who don’t wet their beds, and such children are outliers and an absolute majority. While primary enuresis (bedwetting starts in childhood and sometimes continues nonstop through adulthood) is a common experience, there is everything strange with secondary enuresis (bedwetting that begins in adulthood).
Adult bedwetting can be very shameful and upsetting. Most people, out of shame, don’t even share it to seek assistance and blame themselves.
If you are one of those facing bedwetting issues, here are five things that’ll help you deal with this issue effectively.
Management Measures
The first thing everyone needs to hear when caught up with secondary enuresis is how to manage it. It comes with overwhelming pressure on the individual. Before seeking a permanent solution or medical attention, people usually need to know what they can do to avoid the undesirable results of nocturnal enuresis.
It is essential to know that emergency management of secondary enuresis is not different from primary enuresis. Just like we do diapers for children, adult diapers can work for adults to help them avoid messing up their beds and even interfering with the comfort of their mates.
It is vital to have multiple diapers for adult diaper change options, preferably just before bed or at the onset, as it could be beneficial in avoiding more undesirable consequences.
Unlike in children, adult urine is highly concentrated and should necessitate immediate solution as soon as the uneventful occurs.
Possible Causes
Now that you know what you can do as an emergency measure, we can delve a little deeper to understand the possible causes of adult bedwetting. It is essential to note the causes of bedwetting in adults and children are not worlds apart. These causes are, in most cases, physical or psychological, including:
- small bladder size
- neurological disorders, such as being post-stroke
- urinary tract infection (UTI)
- stress, fear, or insecurity
- prostate gland enlargement
- sleep apnea, or abnormal pauses in breathing during sleep
In most cases, adult bed wetting results from the inability of the body to regulate the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). ADH is a hormone that helps your kidneys manage the amount of water in your body. It also tells your body to slow down urine production overnight, which allows the bladder to hold urine overnight. People lacking sufficient levels of ADH will most likely experience nocturnal enuresis because the bladder will be filled up.
Know the Risks
Apart from knowing the causes of nocturnal enuresis, it is important to know the risk factors that can make a difference between individuals.
The first is family history. A child is likely to wet the bed if a parent, sibling, or other family member has had the same issue; chances are 70 percent if both parents had bedwetting issues.
Gender can also be another risk factor, with boys more likely to wet the bed as they age. Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also face bedwetting issue. ADHD is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting your ability to perform different aspects of your life, such as school, work, and even home.
Lifestyle Hacks to Incorporate
Like many health conditions, lifestyle plays a vital role in handling adult bed wetting. Drinks intake limit is of critical importance. Even though it is essential to keep our body hydrated, we must only take water the body needs and can handle. You should try not to drink water or other liquids within a few hours of bedtime to reduce the risk of having an accident.
Adult bedwetting is common among heavy drinkers and non-teetotallers. Hence, it is necessary to reduce caffeinated or alcoholic drinks in the evening, as these are bladder irritants and diuretics and will cause you to urinate more. Diuretics are medications that increase the amount of water and salt expelled from the body as urine. Besides, emptying your bladder fully before sleep can help as well.
Medical Treatment
- Using anticholinergic drugs to calm an irritated bladder
- Employing antibiotics to eliminate UTIs
- Using desmopressin acetate can increase the levels of ADH to slow down nighttime urine production
- Using medications that block dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can reduce prostate gland swelling
- Controlling chronic conditions, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, will reduce the chances of associated bedwetting.
As seen in the above examples, dealing with underlying medical conditions will help deal with adult bedwetting associated with such conditions.
Conclusion
While bedwetting in adults is strange, it is experienced by many people. Secondary enuresis can result from a lot of causes, both physical and psychological. In most cases, a simple lifestyle change can deal with adult bedwetting. However, a medical prescription may be required, especially when the underlying factors are medical.