What is nocturnal bed-wetting?
Nocturnal bed-wetting is not a problem that only affects children and senior citizens. It can also occur in adults without other diseases. Some adults have never been completely dry since childhood, while in others incontinence suddenly reoccurs.
The causes are very variable. Those affected often also suffer from psychological problems due to the incontinence and have difficulty maintaining social contacts. Bedwetting at night is a recognised disease for which health insurance companies pay for aids. In contrast to children, spontaneous improvement is rare.
What are the causes of nocturnal bed-wetting?
The causes of nocturnal bed-wetting can be very different. One possibility is the missing or delayed development of the conscious perception of a full bladder during sleep. A lack of ADH, the antidiuretic hormone, is also possible.
This hormone, when sufficiently concentrated, reduces the production of urine during the night. An overactive bladder can also lead to bed-wetting, as the controlling control of consciousness is lost at night. In the absence of physical causes, psychological problems should also be clarified.
Alcohol is a poison that interferes with many bodily functions. Bedwetting after drinking alcoholic beverages is particularly common among young people, as the body cannot yet cope with the new burden of alcohol. There are three main reasons for bedwetting after alcohol consumption.
The first reason is that alcohol affects the body’s natural hormone production. One of these hormones is the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which reduces urine production at night. As a result, the body produces more urine than at other nights and the bladder capacity no longer reaches until morning urination.
Another reason is the detoxification function of the liver and kidneys. The alcohol puts more strain on the kidneys and liver, which can lead to increased urine production and a weaker bladder. The last reason is the influence of alcohol on the nervous system.
The bladder is controlled by the brain, which can be restricted in its function by alcohol. This means that the body no longer perceives that the bladder is full and the wake-up stimulus is absent. If bed-wetting occurs even with small amounts of alcohol, a urological examination should be carried out.
In most cases, the disorder subsides as the patient becomes accustomed to the new strain, but the most effective therapy is to abstain from alcohol. Once the physical causes of night-time bed-wetting have been ruled out, the patient’s life situation should be examined. In the case of sudden occurrence in adulthood, a stressful family situation or a stressful work environment is a possible cause.
Traumatic experiences, such as sexual abuse in childhood, can also be a possible cause. In this case, a psychologically accompanied processing of the experiences can contribute to an improvement. – Psychotherapy
- Psychosomatics – when the psyche causes physical symptoms
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