Enuresis in adult men
Enuresis is urinary incontinence. Nocturnal enuresis is characterized by involuntary urination during sleep and is a very common problem in children but can also occur in adults. Men of all ages often suffer from it. This problem is found in 1% of the adult population of the world. About 1 in 200 people periodically lose control of urination during a night's rest and urinate during sleep. In old age, enuresis in men is less common than in women.
Daytime bedwetting is less common than nighttime bedwetting. It can arise after a person has suffered a serious psychological trauma, which negatively affected the functioning of the nervous system.
Such specialists as urologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists are engaged in the treatment of enuresis in adult men. There are more than 300 methods of combating enuresis, among them there are very exotic methods of therapeutic effects - for example, acupuncture, hypnosis, animal therapy, etc.
The problem of urinary incontinence has been known to people for a long time; doctors of ancient Egypt were still involved in its solution. However, even modern medicine cannot guarantee that the patient will be able to get rid of bedwetting 100%.
Content:
- Causes of bedwetting in adult men
- How is bedwetting in adult men treated?
- Recommendations for the treatment of enuresis in men
Causes of bedwetting in adult men
A man can urinate in a dream throughout his life (from childhood), or this problem occurs in a person with age.
The causes of bedwetting in adults are as follows:
- Pathologies of the development of the system responsible for the excretion of urine, which are congenital. Incontinence can be caused by the small size of the bladder, inelasticity of its walls, or their excessive thickness.
- Hormonal disorders in the body. Sometimes, under the influence of hormones, the volume of urine produced increases, and those hormones that are responsible for the functioning of the kidneys are not enough. As a result, the kidneys produce a lot of urine, which the bladder cannot hold.
- Tumor processes can interfere with the normal conduction of a signal transmitted through the nervous system from the bladder to the cerebral cortex.
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Senile age. The older a person gets, the weaker the connection between nerve cells, which are lined up in a long chain, will be. The impulse from the bladder to the cerebral cortex is transmitted less and less intensively with age, which can lead to urinary incontinence.
- Weakness of the sphincter of the bladder. The sphincter is a circular muscle that contracts at the right time and blocks the lumen of the bladder. This allows urine to accumulate in the organ cavity. To empty the bladder, a person relaxes the sphincter with an effort of will. This muscle gets weaker with age. At night, the bladder overflows and urine flows out.
How is bedwetting in adult men treated?
Treatment of bedwetting in adult men involves an integrated approach. In addition to taking medications, psychotherapeutic measures and a competent organization of the daily routine are needed.
Daily regimen and diet for enuresis
In order to reduce the likelihood of involuntary urination at night, you must stop drinking excessive amounts of fluids in the afternoon. In this case, you should drink the prescribed daily rate of water, but this should be done in the morning and afternoon.
It is important to eliminate all foods that have a diuretic effect. First of all, this concerns beer, coffee, tea, fruit drink with cranberries. Some herbal teas are also diuretic, such as decoctions of birch buds or corn stigmas. Watermelon and strawberries can also be called “dangerous” products in this regard.
It is useful to adhere to the dietary scheme of nutrition according to N. I. Krasnogorsky.
- The volume of liquid drunk in the afternoon should be reduced by 2-3 times.
- 4 hours before the night's rest, you must stop drinking fluids altogether.
- Before going to bed, you need to eat a piece of salted bread or a salted fish sandwich. You can drink such a dish with half a glass of water, but no more. The salt will retain fluid in the body and urine will not accumulate in the bladder.
For sleep, you need to choose a mattress with increased rigidity. This will keep the spine in the correct anatomical position. In addition, the nerve fibers will not be compressed, which means that the signal from the bladder to the brain will pass better. If a person sleeps on a hard surface, his sleep becomes more sensitive. This will allow you to wake up at the right time.
You can put a pillow under your feet. This simple exercise provides an opportunity to relieve pressure on the bladder sphincter. As a result, the person will be protected from uncontrolled urination.
You can set an alarm clock, which should go off 2-3 hours after falling asleep. You need to change the wake-up time 2-3 times a week. This will prevent the body from waking up at the same hour in the middle of the night.
Stressful situations should be avoided whenever possible. The more evenly the nervous system works, the easier it is for a person to exercise control over his body.
Treatment of bedwetting with psychotherapeutic techniques
Hypnosis is most commonly used to treat bedwetting. With the help of a special technique, a person is taught that he must wake up when his bladder is full. As a result, a reflex should be developed in the brain, which will make it possible to completely get rid of nighttime urination.
You can self-encourage yourself if you managed to wake up on time at night. Typically, these small rewards work quite effectively in increasing motivation.
You can also try to master the techniques of self-hypnosis. To do this, you need to go to bed and relax. When all the muscles are in a state of complete rest, you should say out loud the following phrase: “I control myself completely. I am in control of my bladder. When it is full, I will feel it and wake up. When a person convinces himself on his own, he gains confidence in his own capabilities. As a result, it will be much easier to cope with the problem of bedwetting.
Sometimes it happens that a man has a certain mindset with a predominance of logical thinking. This prevents him from being suggested. Then you can try to contact a psychotherapist who owns the method of rational psychotherapy. The specialist will convince the person that he is able to cope with the problem he has on his own.
Physiotherapy in the treatment of enuresis
You can do certain exercises that will strengthen the sphincter muscle. In parallel, the pelvic floor muscles will be tightened. Together, this will allow better control over the urination process.
To train the sphincter, you need to try to stop the flow of urine with an effort of will during urination. The muscles should be tense and loosened several times. Over time, they will get stronger and stronger. When you can understand which muscles are involved in the process of emptying the bladder, you can do these exercises while lying in bed.
Physiotherapy against enuresis
Physiotherapy, which is designed to cope with the existing problem, is absolutely safe and painless. They have virtually no side effects. There are many devices for treating urinary incontinence. Their effect is based on the passage of an electric current (the discharge will be very weak) through the body. This contributes to the improvement of nervous and muscle regulation.
To get rid of bedwetting, you can try the following procedures:
- Electric sleep. The technique is designed to normalize the state of the nervous system.
- Darsonval on the bladder area. This effect will strengthen the sphincter.
- Electrophoresis. This procedure makes it possible to improve the conduction of nerve impulses.
- Magnetotherapy. By relaxing the bladder wall, the urge to empty it will be less frequent.
It is possible that reflexology will be crowned with success. It can include mud therapy, paraffin therapy, the imposition of ozokerite on the bladder area. It is possible to take nitrogen, pearl, coniferous and salt baths, the effect of a circular shower.
Alternative methods of treatment of enuresis include acupuncture, art therapy, animal therapy. All of them are aimed at stabilizing the work of the nervous system, which can positively affect the ability to control the urination process.
Medical treatment of bedwetting in adult men
Taking medications sometimes helps to get rid of bedwetting. However, in order to know which drugs to take, it is necessary to find out the cause of urinary incontinence. This can only be done in the doctor's office.
- In the presence of an inflammatory process in the organs of the genitourinary system, antibiotics (Norfloxacin, Monural) can be prescribed.
- If the problem is hidden in the disruption of the kidneys, then the treatment is carried out with Furamag and Furadonin.
- Such drugs as Eunoktin and Radedorm will help to normalize sleep.
- Piracetam, Glycine, Picamilon are used as nootropics. These drugs have a positive effect on the state of the nervous system.
- If enuresis is neurogenic in nature, the doctor may prescribe antidepressants, among which Amitriptyline is especially popular.
- It will be possible to eliminate spasm from the bladder wall with the help of M-anticholinergics. As a result, the organ will be able to accommodate more urine. One of the frequently prescribed drugs in this group is Sibutin Driptan.
- An artificial hormone called desmopressin is also used to treat bedwetting in adult men. Its action is to reduce the amount of urine that accumulates at night. The drug is very convenient to use in the form of nasal drops (Adiuretin - SD). If enuresis is severe, intravenous administration of the drug is possible.
Other methods
In addition, the following directions in the treatment of enuresis can be distinguished:
- Effective treatment of bedwetting with a special alarm clock
- Treatment of bedwetting with a conventional alarm clock
- Special exercises for enuresis
- Popular drugs for bedwetting
Recommendations for the treatment of enuresis in men
To get rid of the existing problem and prevent its reoccurrence, you need to follow the following recommendations:
- Try to avoid stressful situations as much as possible.
- Maintain mental balance.
- Strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises, which are aimed at training the muscles of the perineum in men, can help. They are performed during the bladder emptying process by squeezing the muscles for 5 seconds and trying to stop the flow of urine. Then the muscles are relaxed. During one urination, you need to try to do at least 3-4 approaches. The number of interrupts should be gradually increased.
- If the doctor has prescribed medication, then you must follow his recommendations.
- It is imperative that you try to adhere to the daily regimen: limit fluid intake in the evening, take walks in the fresh air, and eat right.
If you take a comprehensive approach to the treatment of bedwetting in adult men, then you can get rid of it as soon as possible.
Author of the article: Lebedev Andrey Sergeevich | Urologist
Education: Diploma in the specialty "Andrology" received after completing residency at the Department of Endoscopic Urology of the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education in the urological center of the Central Clinical Hospital No. 1 of JSC Russian Railways (2007). Postgraduate studies were completed here by 2010.
