How to cure nocturnal enuresis in adults
Urinary incontinence (or nocturnal enuresis) is a phenomenon characterized by a lack of control of urinary flow and, consequently, urine leakage during the night, which you commonly call “bedwetting.”
This problem usually affects the child population, but with the passage of time and thanks to education and training in controlling the bladder, its incidence decreases until it is almost non-existent in adolescence. Despite this, around 0.5% 1 of adults suffer from this disorder either at specific times (occasional nocturnal enuresis) or regularly.
It is usually a subject that causes discomfort or shame when talking about it, but, luckily, it is solvable through a series of treatments and tools. In this Psychology-article, expert will explain the causes of urinary incontinence and how to cure nocturnal enuresis in adults.
Physical causes of nocturnal enuresis in adults
It may be that urinary incontinence comes with a primary physical cause; in this case, it is essential to know that it may be a symptom of another medical disease, therefore and before treating nocturnal enuresis with exercises and remedies, we must rule out any disorders physical such as the following:
- Congestive heart failure
- Prostate cancer
- Urinary infection
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- Stones in the urinary tract
- Dementia
Therefore, yoi must go to the doctor in the first instance to perform a series of physical examinations and medical tests to examine and rule out these possible causes.
Psychological causes of nocturnal enuresis in adults
Urinary incontinence in adults can also be related to an underlying psychological cause or emotional and mental disorders. Depression, stress, or anxiety can lead to episodes of this condition.
For this, it would be interesting to identify the underlying problem and treat it with therapies focused on relaxation for anxiety, mindfulness 2 for depression, and psychopharmacological treatments (that is, pills to prevent night urination) it is necessary.
It is essential to bear in mind that nocturnal enuresis is a disease that causes stress among adults (due to shame or modesty). Therefore, psychological treatment should also try to understand this variable.
Treatment of nocturnal enuresis in adults
Once all those mental and physical diseases have been ruled out, you may suffer from nocturnal enuresis only due to the muscle’s spontaneous contraction that regulates the expulsion of urine.
In this case, the key is to re-educate your body so that it governs the action of going to the bathroom. There are several behavioral therapies for this, among which the following stand out:
Bladder training
It is a technique in which you must follow a rigorous schedule to go to the bathroom while it is daytime or awake, approximately every two or three hours. Also, it is combined with relaxation techniques to suppress stress and the urge to urinate at other times. Otherwise you shall use enuresis alarm during night to avoid bed wetting.
Control of fluid intake
In this case, you must restrict when you drink; for example, do not drink before going to bed or wait two or three hours to do so if you have ingested fluids. It is also advised not to drink liquids that irritate the bladder during the day, such as alcohol or caffeine.
However, this therapy recommends that you consume two water liters a day since concentrated urine also irritates the bladder. If you have bed wetting problem you may use enuresis alarm during night.
Read More : Adult Bed Wetting Stories and Tips to Stop Bed Wetting
