Enuresis in Adults

If you think that you are the only one in the world unable to control passing untimely urine, then you are wrong. Take heart, because almost 1 out of 100 adults suffer from enuresis (uncontrollable passing of urine). A majority of those affected by enuresis are usually children, but sometimes it even affects adults. Adult enuresis is mainly of two types: diurnal enuresis (daytime wetting) and nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting). Nocturnal enuresis is more common than diurnal enuresis. One may wonder why the person suffering from enuresis does not wake up while wetting the bed. The answer to that is that her/his bladder muscles have considerably weakened and thus do not react to mental triggers for urinating. Most adults wake up when their bladder is full, but just because people suffering from enuresis do not, it has given rise to a myth that they sleep more soundly! Adult enuresis has a very bad impact on the social life of those affected since they have to avoid staying over for the night at someone else’s place, cannot freely go on vacations or business trips or even to social places like colleges, coffee shops, etc. They might even try to avoid getting into a relationship because of the embarrassment involved in their partner finding out about the condition. These are some of the causes that make people choose silence over the need to voice their concerns and address them. With today’s new methods and treatments, the situation can either be relatively rectified or even completely cured. Read on for a quick look at causes, symptoms and treatments.

Causes, Symptoms and Treatment For Enuresis

Some of the commonly known causes, symptoms and treatments for Enuresis are:

Causes

Excessive Stress
Incomplete emptying of the bladder on a regular basis (causes primary enuresis)
An overactive bladder disorder
Frequent constipation, leading to irritation of the bladder
Delayed maturation or a traumatic event
An exceptionally high production of urine at night, in some adults
Adult enuresis is also known to be a genetic condition
Sleep apnea, mental retardation, physical disabilities, excessive consumption of caffeine and psychological issues
Urinary tract infections, anatomic abnormality of the bladder (or a small bladder), and an irritable bladder syndrome
A deficiency in the secretion of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) during sleep
Abnormalities in the spinal cord
Involuntary detrusor muscle contractions (causes primary or secondary enuresis associated with urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence)

Symptoms

Uncontrollable wetting during the day or night
Urgency or burning sensation while passing urine
Straining, dribbling or other unusual symptoms while urinating
Blood stains or cloudy or pinkish urine on underwear
Inability of bowel movement control

Treatments

The first step towards treatment is to discuss it with a doctor and family members.
It can also be treated with medication or a therapy to change the sufferer’s sleeping habits.
Different kinds of exercises on a regular basis to strengthen the control of bladder muscles can also help in curing enuresis.
A device called enuresis alarm is designed to vibrate, ring or buzz when there is an occurrence of wetting in the bed. This will wake up the patient and s/he can empty her/his bladder in the bathroom.
Equisetum, a herb found in Asia, is being quite successfully used for curing Enuresis. It is taken thirty minutes before or after a meal. It relaxes the bladder by making it full, just as a normally functioning bladder would, so that the patient will use the bathroom in the morning and not during the night.
An enuresis patient should try avoiding an intake of fluids like caffeine or alcohol before sleeping.
DDAVP (desmopressin acetate) is a medication that can be taken under a physician’s supervision. However, the drug is expensive and does not guarantee 100% results.
Imipramine (Tofranil) is a comparatively inexpensive antidepressant used to control bedwetting since a long time. It is advised to take this drug only under a physician’s strict supervision since it can be toxic in large doses and an overdose can be fatal.

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