Common Causes

Bed wetting can be caused by a variety of things. The condition may commonly be caused by one or more factors. One of the more common causes involves the delay in the development of the ability to control their bladders. This is usually common among kids who seem to experience delays on their ability to control their bladders. This usually is not related other developmental problems and seem to occur commonly in children.

Another known cause of bed wetting may be related to genetics. Kids who have parents who experienced bed wetting while they were young also have greater chances of developing the same condition. Research has shown that there are certain genes associated with bed wetting and may be passed on to kids from their parents. Kids with parents who had enuresis when they were young are 77 percent more likely to develop the condition as compared to 15 percent for kids with parents who never experienced bed wetting.

Disease and Infection

Although genetics and developmental delays are two of the most common causes of bed wetting, doctors are not as fast to rule out other possible causes that may also be considered as serious. Poor control of the bladder can be due to certain infections in the urinary tract.

Certain physical abnormalities cause bed wetting

Physical Abnormalities

Sometimes bed wetting may be a result of certain physical abnormalities such as a smaller than normal bladder. This usually leads to lesser bladder capacity than may contribute to bed wetting in some people when they sleep at night. There are times when the body produces insufficient anti-diuretic hormone. This is especially more common in kids. The anti-diuretic hormone usually increases its production during night time, signalling the kidneys to produce less urine. This process usually is developed at around the age of ten.

Psychological Issues

There are times when the root cause of bed wetting may be psychological in nature. Extreme stress may be a factor in some people experiencing enuresis. Certain psychological disorders may also have enuresis as one of their symptoms. There are also studies that have found that people with certain mental handicaps also have a higher rate of bedwetting problems.

Other Factors

There are many other factors that may cause bed wetting in some people. Chronic constipation is one of them. There are times when pressure is exerted on the bladder at times when the bowels are full which can lead to enuresis. Alcohol and caffeine consumption may also cause bed wetting since they can help increase urine production when taken.

Indeed, enuresis has many unpleasant effects on both the child and the parents. But these effects can be minimized if parents do away with all the misconceptions and learn the truth about their children’s condition.  The following are the myths and facts about enuresis that every parent should know:

Myth 1: Bedwetters are too lazy to control their urination
This assumption is not only inaccurate, but also destructive because it only makes the child feel bad about himself. The truth is, bedwetters have no control over their condition.

Myth 2: Children who wet their bed have emotional or mental problems
This misconception may have stemmed from the fact that autistic children usually wet their bed. That is not the case in most bedwetters. Although enuresis results in psychological problems such as low self-esteem, these problems do not cause children to wet their bed. But stress and other emotional issues such as divorce of parents or death of a loved one can trigger enuresis in children who previously have had dry nights.

Myth 3: Wearing diapers at night will slow down the process of getting rid of the habit
Experts say that using diapers does not prevent a child from outgrowing enuresis on his own. In fact, diapers offer some benefits. For the bedwetters, diapers prevent them from getting wet and cold when they wake up. For parents, diapers spare them the burden of changing the bed covers or washing the mattresses frequently.

Myth 4: Fluid intake before bedtime causes enuresis
Yes, restricting the amount of fluid intake before your child goes to sleep can lessen the volume of urine released during nighttime. However, drinking liquids before bedtime does not cause the child to wet his bed.

Fact 1: Enuresis is hereditary.
If there is a history of enuresis in your family, your child is likely to become a bed wetter. Three out of four children who suffer from the condition have a family history of enuresis.

Fact 2: Some bedwetters have a functionally small (not anatomically small) bladder
This means these children quickly feel a full bladder, so the urge to urinate is frequent.

Fact 3: Bedwetters find it hard to rouse from sleep, which keeps them from responding to their body’s signal to urinate

Fact 4: Hormonal imbalance causes enuresis
Some children lack the amount of anti-diuretic hormone that signals the kidneys to produce less urine while they sleep. The result? More urine at nighttime.

Fact 5: Enuresis may be a symptom of underlying medical conditions
If your child suffers from bed wetting, it is likely that he may have one or two of the following diseases: diabetes, urinary tract infection, sleep apnea, spinal cord problems, and constipation.

Bedwetting could be a symptom of underlying medical conditions

It is recommended that you visit a doctor to have your child checked and to get advice on the possible treatment methods to stop enuresis.

Of course, adult enuresis is very embarrassing. It is enough reason to get teased by friends and colleagues and to shun friendships, relationships, and enjoyable activities in life. However, adult bedwetters must recognize the fact that they have the condition and need to seek medical help.

The first step in properly dealing with adult enuresis is determining its possible causes.

Adult enuresis is very embarrassing

Stress
Stressful situations and emotional struggles may cause a person to pee during his sleep. There are ways to manage stress and control enuresis. These include listening to music, performing relaxation and breathing techniques, or engaging in sports and physically challenging activities.

Natural aging process
As people age, their body deteriorates. This leads to slower movements and reflexes. Thus, the older an adult gets, his urinary control decreases.

Fluid intake
Drinking excessive amounts of liquid just before hitting the sack may cause a person to wet his bed.

Coffee, tea, and alcohol
Coffee, tea, soda, and other beverages with caffeine content trigger production of more urine in the body. Alcohol, for its part, makes the control in the bladder muscle weaker. Avoid these drinks especially at night to keep yourself from wetting the bed.

Diuretic medications
There are drugs that can trigger enuresis. For example diuretics are taken to prevent heart failure caused by kidney problems. However, taking the drug can take its toll on your urination control at night.

Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) imbalance
ADH controls the release of urine by the urinary system. If the body lacks this hormone, chances are the person will experience wet nights.

Urinary tract infection (UTI)
UTI can cause problems in releasing urine from the body especially during sleep. A tumor or swelling in the lower urinary tract can also cause involuntary wetting at night.

So what is the best thing to do if you are prone to wetting the bed? First, you can train your bladder to empty urine at particular time intervals. Pelvic muscle exercises are a good way to be able to control urination at nighttime. This workout, which makes the bladder muscles stronger, must be done two to three times every day for at least four weeks.

If you are taking diuretic drugs, take them during the day or at least eight hours before bedtime. Visit your doctor to find out the medication options you have to be able to cure enuresis.

Controlling adult bed wetting is no different from that of children. The only difference is that you are in charge of your own body (not your parent), so be careful when considering the different treatment options available for your condition.

Adult bedwetting could be categorized as secondary nocturnal enuresis. Bed wetting have two types: the primary and the secondary. Primary enuresis would refer to bed wetting since infancy which is common among kids. Secondary enuresis would refer to bed wetting that occurred after the person has been dry over a long period of time.

There are different causes of adult wetting. It could be due to:

Adult enuresis could happen due to many reasons

Genetics
There are studies showing that if one of the parents has the history of bedwetting, then there are 45% of chances that it could happen to their offspring. This does not only apply on children night time incidents, but also on adult bed wetting.

Hormonal
The anti-diuretic hormone produced by the body is responsible in sending signals to the kidneys to produce less urine. The production of this kind of hormone increases during night time. If the body does not produce enough ADH then the kidneys will still produce urine. Diseases that commonly affects the production of ADH is diabetes.

Muscular
There is a muscle in the bladder called the detrusor. The detrusor contracts to negate the urine. However, this could be unstable especially if the body is exposed to different bladder irritants like caffeine and alcohol.

Medical
There are numerous medical reasons for adult enuresis, it could be urinary tract infection, urinary stones, prostate cancer, prostate enlargement and even bladder cancer. There are also sleeping disorders which are associated with nighttime wetting. Aide from bed wetting, other symptoms could also include night terrors and sweats or sleep walking.

Medication
There are different kinds of drugs available and used by people nowadays. Drugs and medications could affect with the body and bladder control. In some cases of sleep apnea, drugs taken to avoid other complications could lead to adult wetting.

Psychological
An adult could experience physical shock or trauma that could lead to triggering of enuresis. Emotional distress could also be a reason. This kind of cause or situation is often times, the easiest to treat.

Natural Aging
Aging reduces our body’s control over muscles, sending neurological signals can be slower, reflexes are also slower. Bladder control among older adults could be a problem.

Adult bed wetting could deeply affect a person’s confidence, esteem and their relationship. Because of the fear of getting embarrassed and ashamed, adults who suffer from enuresis tend to hide their condition. It is important to encourage the adult sufferer to open up and talk about their problems. Dealing with these fears would help them get medical help. Normally, fear of getting embarrassed about bed wetting, prevents them from seeking professional and medical help. Family and friends are very important at this stage.

When seeking medical help, doctors would assess the situation to identify what is the primary cause of adult bed wetting. There are different urine management which can be done to help adult sufferers deal with bed wetting like relieving within specific time intervals, fluid management, sometimes with medication and exercising muscles.