Adult bed wetting is an embarrassing condition, but also one that often signals an underlying health concern and therefore should be investigated by a medical professional. Understanding the causes of adult onset bed wetting (also known as secondary enuresis) will better help you prepare for such a visit while reflecting on how this condition has affected your life will allow you to convey to your GP the strain it puts on you. Developing a few coping strategies should also help reduce the instances of bed wetting as well any embarrassment surrounding the issue.
Causes of Adult Bed Wetting
Adult bed wetting is often a symptom of a physical or mental health condition so it is important to think about when your nocturnal enuresis started and if it could be related to other symptoms of a medical condition. Adult bed wetting has been linked to:
- Aging and a general loss of control of reflexes and the urinary system.
- Infection, inflammation or stones in the urinary tract.
- Cancer of the bladder or other area of the urinary system.
- An undiagnosed neurological disorder.
- Diabetes.
- Prostate cancer or enlargement.
- A side effect of medication, particularly diuretics which encourage encourages urination.
- Consumption of beverages throughout the day, particularly prior to bed.
- Excessive alcohol consumption.
- Unacknowledged stress or other mental or emotional distress.
Adult Bed Wetting and It’s Effects on Your Life
Aside from being an embarrassment, adult bed wetting can add stresses and strains to an individual’s life in a variety of ways. Communicating how this condition has affected your life should motivate your GP to carry out necessary tests and find a diagnosis and treatment. Many people suffering from secondary enuresis must cope with:
- An inability to sleep in the same bed as a partner or spouse.
- Curtailing travel for fear of being exposed.
- Being forced to use bed wetting pads or rubber sheets.
- Sleeping in disposable undergarments or with removable pads in case of accidents.
- Interrupting sleep in order to urinate and attempt to avoid accidents.
- Increased laundry requirements due to soiled pyjamas and sheets.
- Increased cost of replacing bedclothes and mattresses more frequently.
- Feeling of shame, anger or of being a failure.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Coping Strategies for Adult Bed Wetting
When adult bed wetting is due to an underlying health concern there may be targeted treatments available to help cure or at least curtail it. There are also coping strategies any adult coping with nocturnal enuresis can try in order to alleviate this condition. Many individuals have had success in lessening the frequency of bed wetting by:
- Limiting beverage consumption in the evening.
- Taking medication with a diuretic effect during the day.
- Avoiding caffeinated beverages at all times, but particularly in the evening.
- Urinating on a set schedule during the day and evening to lessen involuntary urges at night.
- Setting an alarm at night to allow for timed urination.
- Consuming alcohol in moderation at all times, day or night.
No medication has ever had any effect on the issue, an no medical professional, consultant, doctor, incontinence specialist or whatever has ever come up with any explanation as to why I wet the bed, much less a cure. And I very much doubt whether this will ever change; and to be perfectly honest, I long ago gave up worrying about it. Sleeping in a nappy solves the problem, and it's a solution I am perfectly happy with.
At one time I had resigned myself to living alone my entire life, because I never believed anyone would want a bedwetter for a partner. But then I met Carla, and we became very close. Eventually I told her about my problem. Her reaction was "So what?" Since she is a nurse, she knows from experience working in a hospital that many adults, male and female, have nocturnal enuresis and that it was not something I should feel ashamed about it in any way whatsoever. We have been together for over 15 years now, and the fact that I wake up wet more often than not does not faze her in any way at all. As far as she and I are concerned, it is simply no big deal.
So for all those who think that they will never find a partner I say don't give up. There are good people out there who won't let your problem bother them.
of the problem but my bed wetting is getting worse but also during the day as I seem to wet quite frequently, so I wear pads during the day. Seems to only be worse at night so I'm having to wear the nappies in bed. Hopefully there is something that can be done. Fingers crossed. But is it wrong that I'm actually starting to like the feel of them when I go to bed? I don't know, but I just feel wrong about it.
My mom would take me to the doctor all the time for this and was always told I would grow out of it. As j got older they would tell me to set alarms throughout the night so I could take bathroom breaks. It worked for a couple weeks until I started wetting before my alarms went off.
I am able to go a few days maybe even a couple of weeks with out an incident, but after that period of time it happens again, and for many night nights consecutively. I need help!
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