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Urinating while asleep, also called nocturnal enuresis, is common in children. It is messy and upsetting, however since it is uncontrollable, it is simply a sign of a developing body becoming accustomed to sleeping without diapers. Nocturnal enuresis in teenagers and adolescents, though, is a different matter. It may be worrisome for parents; it can be embarrassing for older children, and is considered a physical symptom of deeper troubles in a teenager or adolescent.
What causes nocturnalenuresis? To understand it, one needs to understand how the kidneys and their corresponding hormones work together. One hormone in particular, the antidiuretic hormone, controls the release of water in the body. The antidiuretic hormone is involved with a hormone cycle that ensures that the bladder will not be full until the morning; this in turn ensures that a person will urinate upon awaking.
However, this antidiuretic hormone cycle is not entirely operational in babies. It will develop in older children; in a few cases, it will be stable at the end of puberty; in particularly rare cases, the cycle will not be established at all. These uncommon scenarios are what may cause adolescent bedwetting.
Another means of controlling urination is via the brain, which, for its part, controls the body's capability to awaken before urination. In children, this is learned by the brain, as it becomes more and more aware of the body's hormonal cycles. This learning process, however, can be interrupted by certain factors such as emotional or physical stress. Such stress can be as mild as forcing children to urinate when they are not fully awake. Other contributing factors can be more damaging, such as physical or sexual abuse.
If your teenager or adolescent wets his or her bed, you might want to consider one of the following treatments and therapies.
The first consideration in teenage enuresis is the body's inability to develop the antidiuretic hormone cycle, or the brain's inability to identify it. Your healthcare professional may suggest antidepressants such as Nortriptyline and Amitriptyline, both of which can treat enuresis for up to three or four months.
Desmopressin, another common enuresismedicine, mimics the role of the antidiuretic hormone, and can be taken when diagnosis points to poor hormonal development as the cause of enuresis.
The second consideration when treating teenage enuresis is the brain's inability to both recognize the antidiuretic hormone cycle, and to control it with respect to time and sleep. To address this, psychiatrists advocate training machines such as the bedwetting alarm. This nighttime gadget can aid teenagers to wake up when they first feel moisture, and that they must urinate. Ideally, this will lead to the body finally recognizing when the bladder is full, and can curb teenage enuresis.
The third consideration may be the body's total inability to control enuresis, which is quite rare. In this case, doctors advise using diapers or pads, which will help reduce the discomfort associated with enuresis. Although this lessens the shame, it will not stop enuresis entirely, and additional measures should be taken to stop it.
The last consideration may be the brain's inability to control urination or identify the antidiuretic hormone cycle because of psychological issues. Such issues may be brought about by stress; if this stress stems from physical or sexual abuse, your child may refuse to talk to you about it. Psychiatric care and therapy is advised in such situations; although counseling may not directly target the problem of teenage enuresis, it may give you and your child closure on any issues that are brought to light.
Teenage or adolescent enuresis is a treatable disorder, and it needs both patience and consideration on the part of the concerned parent. If your adolescent is wetting his or her bed, take him or her to your physician, and have the problem diagnosed and treated. In no time, your adolescent will no longer need to deal with the embarrassment and messes associated with their condition.
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