Adults Also Wet The Bed
WHEN enuresis or bed-wetting persists into adulthood it should be handled as a major medical problem.
By Juliet Kakeeto
WHEN enuresis or bed-wetting persists into adulthood it should be handled as a major medical problem. This problem is more pronounced in the youth and the aged. Worse still, one in every six adults and teenagers who wet the bed never seek medical help.
What really causes an adult to involuntary pass urine when asleep? Dr Samuel Kaggwa, a senior consultant urologist at Mulago Hospital says that sometimes the person may have a real-life dream that he or she is in the toilet urinating, only to wake up and discover that they are wet.
Many people who have bed-wetting problems are deep sleepers as well. They have problems with waking up to go to the toilet. He says some may only occasionally have bed-wetting occurrences, while others may have them once or more often a night.
If bed-wetting is caused by a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), symptoms may include irritation of the lining of the bladder, urethra, ureters, and kidneys, thus causing pain in the abdomen and pelvic area.
But Dr Kaggwa says that the causes of bed-wetting are often unknown and range from behavioural disturbances, very sound sleeping, consumption of a lot of liquid before bedtime, dreaming about using the toilet, allergies and heredity reasons.
Bed-wetting can be genetic. Many bed-wetters have had other family members that have experienced this problem.
Dr Kaggwa says that some adults who bed-wet often have problems in the daytime as well, such as having to rush to the lavatory as a matter of urgency. There are several reasons for bed-wetting. If you have always suffered from bed-wetting, you may lack control of the necessary muscles (sphincter) and nerves that may lead to poor bladder control.
“Your bladder may not have developed the necessary nerve and muscle control, so the bladder muscle contracts and empties the bladder when it is only half full of urine. If you are a teenager, your bladder may soon learn, it may be just a bit slowâ€, the doctor says.
Bed-wetting could also be a result of producing a lot of urine at night, because the mechanisms that reduce urine production at night have not developed, he says. Again, if you are a teenager, the problem may solve itself over time.
He says diabetes is another cause, whereby the kidneys try to lower the sugar by making lots of sugary urine, so you pass more urine in the day and during the night. If your bladder control is poor, this could lead to bed-wetting. The problem however, goes away when the diabetes is treated.
Stress and anxiety can also cause bed-wetting. Other conditions, such as expansion of the prostate gland, which normally comes with old age, excess alcohol intake, smoking, lack of exercise for the body and neurological problems like headaches, epilepsy, meningitis and other disorders affecting muscles, can result in bed-wetting.
Remember you need to cut down on fluids like alcohol and coffee in the evenings.
The best treatment is to remind yourself that it is not your fault, and visit a doctor.
Ends
WHEN enuresis or bed-wetting persists into adulthood it should be handled as a major medical problem. This problem is more pronounced in the youth and the aged. Worse still, one in every six adults and teenagers who wet the bed never seek medical help.
What really causes an adult to involuntary pass urine when asleep? Dr Samuel Kaggwa, a senior consultant urologist at Mulago Hospital says that sometimes the person may have a real-life dream that he or she is in the toilet urinating, only to wake up and discover that they are wet.
Many people who have bed-wetting problems are deep sleepers as well. They have problems with waking up to go to the toilet. He says some may only occasionally have bed-wetting occurrences, while others may have them once or more often a night.
If bed-wetting is caused by a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), symptoms may include irritation of the lining of the bladder, urethra, ureters, and kidneys, thus causing pain in the abdomen and pelvic area.
But Dr Kaggwa says that the causes of bed-wetting are often unknown and range from behavioural disturbances, very sound sleeping, consumption of a lot of liquid before bedtime, dreaming about using the toilet, allergies and heredity reasons.
Bed-wetting can be genetic. Many bed-wetters have had other family members that have experienced this problem.
Dr Kaggwa says that some adults who bed-wet often have problems in the daytime as well, such as having to rush to the lavatory as a matter of urgency. There are several reasons for bed-wetting. If you have always suffered from bed-wetting, you may lack control of the necessary muscles (sphincter) and nerves that may lead to poor bladder control.
“Your bladder may not have developed the necessary nerve and muscle control, so the bladder muscle contracts and empties the bladder when it is only half full of urine. If you are a teenager, your bladder may soon learn, it may be just a bit slowâ€, the doctor says.
Bed-wetting could also be a result of producing a lot of urine at night, because the mechanisms that reduce urine production at night have not developed, he says. Again, if you are a teenager, the problem may solve itself over time.
He says diabetes is another cause, whereby the kidneys try to lower the sugar by making lots of sugary urine, so you pass more urine in the day and during the night. If your bladder control is poor, this could lead to bed-wetting. The problem however, goes away when the diabetes is treated.
Stress and anxiety can also cause bed-wetting. Other conditions, such as expansion of the prostate gland, which normally comes with old age, excess alcohol intake, smoking, lack of exercise for the body and neurological problems like headaches, epilepsy, meningitis and other disorders affecting muscles, can result in bed-wetting.
Remember you need to cut down on fluids like alcohol and coffee in the evenings.
The best treatment is to remind yourself that it is not your fault, and visit a doctor.
Ends