Adult bedwetting is mostly a clinical condition, not spiritual attack

Adult bedwetting is quite different from that of children. And the causes can only be known after examination.

Dr. Olamiji Oluwagbemiga Ibitoye, explained that bedwetting or enuresis in medical term is a medical, and not a spiritual problem.

He said: “Adult bedwetting is usually a secondary enuresis, which is the onset of bed wetting in someone who has previously achieved bladder control. When an individual has one of the two parents that previously bed wet, he/she has a 77 per cent chance of bedwetting. There are lots of cases, where people get so embarrassed and anxious that they consequently develop low self-esteem. And to make the situation worse, instead of seeking help, they start sleeping in religious houses, when there are simple medical measures that can manage it.”

He listed the causes to include, acquired neurogenic bladder; disorder of sleep arousal; small bladder; an overactive bladder; ageing in elderly people, medical conditions (e.g. seizure disorder and diabetes; urinary tract infection (UTI); kidney diseases and psychological conditions; medications such as anti-psychotics and blood pressure medications; stress or anxiety and excessive fluid intake after a certain time of the day, among others. Without proper evaluation, it would be almost impossible to know.

He said: “Although adult bedwetting is not a life-threatening condition and so far, there has been no reported case of death directly linked to it, the psychological effect on quality life should not be ignored because it can lead to depression, which in turn can lead to suicide. Fortunately, there are several ways to manage bedwetting generally.

“People should be encouraged to seek medical help, where proper medical evaluation can be done in order to identify the specific cause of their condition for better management. This is because the condition can be cured by such simple lifestyle changes as avoiding alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and drinking of water just before bedtime. There are also a few behavioural or lifestyle modifications, including, alarm therapy, whereby the individual set a night alarm to wake him at certain times during the night to urinate or even with the use of medications, in the event of failure to achieve dryness with other measures.”