Bed Wetting in Adults Part 2

Causes

Bed wetting is a complex issue in the adult and can have multiple causes. Unlike children, some adults with bed wetting also have a problem with day time wetting.

There is some evidence that adult bed wetting may have a genetic link. If one has either one or both parents who have had a problem with bed wetting, the chances are much higher that you will also be affected with this problem.

In some adults the hormone that controls urine production (ADH) may be absent or secreted in low amounts. Absence of the hormone ADH causes the kidney to constantly pass urine in the bladder.

Other individuals may have a very sensitive bladder. As soon as the bladder starts to fill with urine, it sends signals to the brain to empty it. This leads to frequent urination and bed wetting.

There are other individuals who have been involved in trauma and develop over activity of the bladder muscle. This causes the bladder to spontaneously contract and empty the bladder. Two substances which are commonly found to increased bladder overactivity are caffeine and alcohol.

Medications like the diuretics for the treatment of blood pressure can also cause bladder muscle over activity and lead to spontaneous passage of urine. Other medications that can lead to bedtime wetting include the anti psychotics like risperidone and thioridazine.

Other common causes of secondary enuresis may include diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, neurological disorders (like stroke), anatomical abnormalities of the bladder or ureters, prostate cancer, benign prostatic hypertrophy and obstructive sleep apnea. Adult bed wetting in rare circumstances can also be caused by emotional stress or severe anxiety.

Unlike children, adults with bed wetting need a thorough examination to rule out a cause which can be treated.

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Bed Wetting in Adults Part 1

There are at least 2-4 percent of adults who involuntary void urine during sleep. Nocturnal enuresis (Bedwetting) is the unintentional urination that occurs at night. Nocturnal bed wetting in adults is generally classified into two categories- primary and secondary.

With primary nocturnal bed wetting, the condition most likely starts in childhood and progresses into adulthood. In these individuals, nocturnal enuresis is not a daily occurence but occurs at least 1-4 times every few months.

The exact number of adults who have this problem is not known because most people do not brag about it nor do they tell their health care worker about it. The secondary onset bed wetting almost always starts off at an older age; the individual may have had no problem in childhood but suddenly the bed wetting starts in adulthood. In some cases, the child may have bed wetting and achieved bladder control but relapses later in adulthood.

Bed wetting is not a recent problem in humans; it has been reported in the archives as early as 1500 BC. Although much is known about bed wetting in the child, the problem has been less studied in the adult.