Though it’s often under reported, some adults wet their bed unintentionally throughout their lives and are too scared or ashamed to even tell their doctors. Bed wetting, usually associated with children, could be a sign of a more serious condition in adults.

Adults who involuntarily wet themselves during sleep often feel ashamed and afraid to mention their issue to anyone, even their own doctor. This is an unfortunate mistake.

Adult bed wetting, or adult nocturnal enuresis, is a condition which affects many men and women of all ages and from all economic classes. Strictly speaking adult bed wetting occurs when a mature person cannot control his or her bladder during sleep and ends up urinating in the bed. This loss of bladder control in bed may or may not actually wake the person from sleep.

Not all adults have the same kinds of bed wetting problems. Some adults have grown up wetting the bed all their lives, while some adults later develop a bed wetting problem after having years of no problems at all.

Adults who wet their beds over their lifetimes are said to suffer from primary nocturnal enuresis, which is often considered the more difficult type of enuresis to treat. It often leads to psychological problems and low-self esteem.

Adults who begin wetting the bed later in life or at random periods may actually be suffering from an undiagnosed or more dangerous ailment and should see their doctor immediately. These people are said to be suffering from adult onset enuresis.

The causes of adult bed wetting are numerous, from physical abnormalities, to undiagnosed bodily injuries, to bladder cancer to anxiety and emotional stress. Certain medications may also cause adults to wet their beds when they never had issues before. Even excessive alcohol and caffeine can affect the chances of an adult wetting the bed in his or her sleep, especially as one gets older.

Depending on the underlying cause, there are many different medical treatments available. A qualified medical professional or urologist should be able to help you determine the causes of your bed wetting issues. The treatment is almost always determined by the cause and the solution could be as easy as some simple behavior modifications and exercises or you may need special medication or even surgery in rare cases.

It is estimated that over 4 million American adults suffer from bed wetting. Adult bed wetting can often be the sign of a more dangerous underlying medical condition such as bladder cancer or diabetes, so it is not something to be ignored or treated lightly.

No matter what type of adult bedwetting you suffer from there could be a quick and effective treatment waiting for you. Informing your doctor about your bed wetting issues could save your life.