Adult enuresis (involuntary passing of urine during the night) affects many millions of people throughout the developed world. There are various different conditions that can lead to the onset of adult enuresis, but the most common are either a physical trauma (such as a road accident or accident at work), or a deep sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. This article outlines the causes of adult enuresis as well as examining some of the most common treatment methods.

Adult enuresis can be a very embarrassing and discomforting experience, and often leads to feelings of shame or loss of control in the person experiencing it. Sufferers of adult enuresis may try to hide their symptoms, and this can have an effect on their emotional state and their ability to form a lasting relationship, as they try to conceal their symptoms and may not, for example, wish to share a bed with another adult.

Physical shocks or traumas that have led to the onset of adult enuresis are often the most easily treatable, as the doctors or medical staff treating the other symptoms of the trauma are often able to address the physical cause. Sleep disorder related adult enuresis is harder to treat, and in some cases may it may even be incurable.

Sleep disorder related adult enuresis may be linked to other symptoms such as night terrors and sweats, or sleep walking. The root cause of the issue is that the adult experiencing the bed wetting is sleeping so deeply that they are unable to control the muscle that would normally prevent them from passing urine during the night, and do not respond to the normal mental triggers that wake most adults when their bladder is full during the night.

However, recognition of the fact that adult enuresis is linked to a sleep disorder and is not the result of emotional or mental problems can often provide a ray of hope for sufferers. The fact that adult enuresis has a tangible cause and can thus be addressed and treated means they are not doomed to suffer in silence.

For friends of relatives of people suffering from adult enuresis, the first thing to do is to encourage them to talk about their problem. Feelings of shame or dirtiness can prevent sufferers seeking medical help from their doctor or professional institutions such as sleep disorder clinics. Their problems must be treated sensitively but the sufferer should be gently persuaded that positive action can only come from speaking about their problems.

The first stage of medical treatment for adult enuresis is normally an assessment of the sufferers' physical and mental condition, including the possibility that they may have an inherited sleep disorder. This means that the treatment centre will conduct a physical exam as well as asking questions about any changes in the sufferers' lifestyle and their family history.

This assessment allows an individual treatment process to be tailored to the needs of the individual. Treatment can include medication, a program to alter the sufferer's sleep pattern, and exercises to strengthen the bladder control muscles. This exercise is necessary as the adult enuresis can lead to weakening of the bladder muscles due to the fact that they are not used nightly as they are in adults not experiencing the symptoms of enuresis.

Adult enuresis can be a debilitating condition as feelings of shame and interrupted or irregular sleep cycles can affect the sufferers' emotional state. However, it does not need to be a permanent condition and the friends and family of people suffering the condition should ensure they treat them with sensitivity and give them the support they need.

Copyright Jared Winston, 2005. All Rights Reserved.