What Is Bedwetting A Sign Of In Adults & What Causes Sudden Bedwetting In Adults?

For many adults, it is quite embarrassing to even talk about something that they often think of as a child thing. However, the real truth is, more than 5,000,000 American adults suffer from bed-wetting. Adult bedwetting is also known as sleep enuresis is a frustrating disorder often seen as a sign of an immature, developing bladder.

Medical studies estimate that someone with two bedwetting parents has a major possibility of becoming a bedwetter. Although many people think that bedwetting is a nature of a kid, this is a problem that really hits adults too. This may be due to medical conditions or a problem with your bladder. This article will discuss the causes of sudden bedwetting in adults and ways to deal with that.

Bed wetting is often associated with the problem of childhood and one-quarter of children experience this problem. Most children overgrow bed-wetting over a period when the bladder develops in size. However, when your body is not functioning the way it should be, it persists in adulthood as well. To fully understand, why bed-wetting happens and why adults experiencing this condition, quick anatomy would be quite helpful.

The kidney produces the urine and it passes to the bladder via the ureter to be stored. The urinary bladder is a hollow muscular organ in the pelvis just above and behind the pubic bone. This is responsible for holding the urine until the individual has an urge to release it into the urethra, the duct by which urine is conveyed out of the body.

At the same time, when the bladder contracts, the urinary sphincter (two muscles used to control the exit of urine in the urinary bladder through the urethra) relaxes and behaves as a passage to release urine out of the body. This is a normal cycle however when there is a physical or neurological problem, it becomes a problem and results in various complications such as bed-wetting.¹

Bed-wetting in adulthood is uncommon and requires immediate medical attention. This is due to your body’s inability to store and hold urine. In addition, bed-wetting may indicate signs of

• Blocked urethra
• Constipation
• Sleep disorder
• Urinary tract infections
• Diabetes
• Neurological disorder and a few others.²

If you are experiencing occasional or one-time bed-wetting, there is nothing to worry about. Accidents can happen however when you have persistent or frequent bed-wetting, it is high time to consult your health care provider. Let us look at the reasons what is causing this condition

• Hormonal issues – Hormonal imbalances can also cause Bed-wetting in some people. Generally, the human body produces an antidiuretic hormone which is primarily responsible for sending signals to the kidney to slow down the production of urine in the night hours. However, some individuals don’t produce an adequate amount of this hormone or their hormone doesn’t respond properly and becomes a leading factor of bed-wetting
• Size of the bladder- Humans overgrow their bladder as they mature however some humans have smaller bladders which makes them feel fuller even with lower volumes and necessitates them to urinate at night.
• Cancer– Your bed-wetting may also be because of conditions that affect your body’s ability to store and hold urine. Among the several factors, bladder and prostate cancer can block and obstruct the urinary tract. Treating cancer can eliminate the tumor and thus prevent future episodes of bed-wetting
• Sleep Apnea– Bed-wetting is one of the common symptoms in sleep apnea patients. Medical studies show that 7% of individuals with sleep disorder experience bed-wetting especially when the sleep apnea symptoms worsen.^{3, 4}

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Also Read:

• What is the Cause of Nocturnal Enuresis (Bedwetting)?
• Can Stress Cause Bedwetting in Children?
• When Should I Take My Child To See A Doctor About Bedwetting?
• Is Bedwetting Hereditary?
• How To Stop Bedwetting In Adults?