It always happens something like this:
You fall into an extremely deep sleep and find yourself dreaming. The dream builds up to such a stage that you find yourself wanting to pee. In your dream, you walk to the bathroom or the side of the road (whichever your dreamy self fancies!) and simply begin to pee. But there’s something strange, peeing goes on and on and just never seems to end; well, not until you wake up abruptly to find a huge, wet patch on the bed. That’s only when it stops, and you realise you have done it again. Oops!
If this scenario describes you, take heart, you are not alone. This condition, called enuresis affects about 1–2 out of every 100 teens.
So, What Is Enuresis?
Enuresis is the medical name for not being able to control your pee. It is also called involuntary urination. Nocturnal enuresis is involuntary urination that happens at night while sleeping after the age when a person should be able to control his or her bladder. While Involuntary urination that happens during the day is known as diurnal enuresis.
There are two kinds of enuresis: primary and secondary. Someone with primary nocturnal enuresis has wet the bed since he or she was a baby (primary nocturnal enuresis is the most common form). Secondary enuresis is a condition that develops at least 6 months — or even several years — after a person has learned to control his or her bladder.
The bladder is a muscular receptacle, or holding container, for pee (urine). It expands (gets bigger) as urine enters and then contracts (gets smaller) to push the urine out.
In a person with normal bladder control, nerves in the bladder wall send a message to the brain when the bladder is full; the brain then sends a message back to the bladder to keep it from automatically emptying until the person is ready to go to the bathroom. But people with nocturnal enuresis have a problem that causes them to pee involuntarily at night.
Doctors don’t know exactly why, but enuresis is much more common in boys than girls.It is often seen in combination with ADHD.
Causes of Enuresis
Three of the most common reasons for primary nocturnal enuresis are:
- Genetic predisposition: 75 percent of children who wet the bed have parents who had the same problem as a child.
- Deep sleeping: Studies suggest that children who wet the bed are very hard to wake up and have a hard time waking to an alarm clock.
- Hormonal Problems: A hormone called anti-diuretic hormone, or ADH, causes the body to produce less urine at night. But some people’s bodies don’t make enough ADH, which means their bodies may produce too much urine while they are sleeping.
Some other common reasons for secondary nocturnal enuresis are:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Diabetes
- Structural abnormalities in the urinary tract
- Constipation
- Stressful situations at home or school
Teens who bedwet are not lazy, neither are they undisciplined. They have a problem and will need the help of a physician. Even though most will grow out of this condition in time, it’s usually beneficial if help is sought for the situation as this is a sensitive time in the development of a teen’s self-esteem which can be affected.
So, what should you expect during an enuresis exam? And what are some forms of treatment for enuresis? Do keep your eyes peeled on this page for the answers you seek.
See Also: Do You Bedwet? See Answers To All the Questions You Ever Asked (2)
See Also: Just For Boys: Exactly What are Wet Dreams!!?
