Bedwetting in Adults - Causes

Most of us gain control over our bladder function by the time we are 3 years of age. Though, it is not unusual for some children to wet their beds even when they are 6 years old. Bedwetting becomes a problem only after this age. Bedwetting, medically referred to as nocturnal enuresis, is one of the common problems in teenagers and adults.

About 2% - 3% of people suffer from this condition. Some people just cannot grow out of this childhood problem, while some others start having this problem after several years of dry span. Although, stress or other psychological conditions are primarily responsible for bedwetting in adults, causes can be several which also contribute to this.

Causes of Bedwetting in Adults
There can be several reasons for bedwetting in adults. Causes are reflected below.

Bladder Infection
Bladder infection is a leading cause of bedwetting in adults. The infection irritates the muscles of the bladder, which results in poor control of the bladder. Sometimes the person may wake up from his sleep to relieve himself, but by the time he gets out of the bed, involuntarily empties his bladder. This is more common in elderly people.

Psychological Conditions
Certain psychological conditions such as stress, fear or anxiety can also cause bedwetting in adults. It has been observed that a person who has not experienced bedwetting problem for several years may suddenly start experiencing it, soon after a major traumatic situation in his life. Emotional imbalance is a cause of childhood incontinence.

Diseases
Mental disorders such as Alzheimer's disease diminish a person's sensation of the need to urinate. Obviously, these people do not sense the urge to urinate at night and end up bedwetting. Other diseases that can cause bedwetting in adults are cancer and diabetes. Cancer has similar effects as a bladder infection, while diabetes is responsible for increased need for urination.

Weakened Muscles
Muscles of the bladder may weaken due to several reasons such as illness, aging, etc. Often, after a person has had a prolonged bed rest, he loses his control over the bladder function. This explains why many people suffer form bedwetting problem after a surgery or a prolonged illness. Such people are unable to stop the leakage of urine while asleep or when the bladder is full.

Increased Bladder Pressure
Certain medical conditions like pregnancy or enlarged prostate can also lead to bedwetting in adults. These conditions often exert an additional pressure on the bladder which eventually leads to inability to hold the urge to urinate. Obesity is yet another problem which pressurizes the bladder and causes bedwetting in adults.

Heredity
Not many people are aware, but heredity is a major cause of bedwetting in adults. If you have parents, both of whom were bedwetters, you have 77% chances of inheriting the problem. With one bedwetting parent your likelihood of bedwetting reduces to 40%. The genetic predisposition in such people is such that they can never wake up from sleep when they need to urinate. Mostly, these are the people who never had dry span in their lives.

Medications
There are certain medications which induce such deep sleep, that a person finds it impossible to wake up during night to relieve himself. These are mostly sedatives which freeze the sensory abilities of human beings.

Bedwetting in adults can be extremely uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing. However, one must not hesitate to go to an incontinence expert who may help cure the problem. If not, he can at least suggest some bedwetting solution.

These days, there are several urinary incontinence products available in the market that can provide some comfort against incontinence. Hence, to find a permanent solution to bedwetting in adults, causes must be researched upon and proper medications must be incorporated without much ado.