The Taboo Behind the Taboo of Incontinence

My Story – Submitted by: Colin

It’s an issue the majority of people don’t want to discuss and when they do talk about it they do so in hushed tones. Cheryle B. Gartley, president of the Simon Foundation for Continence calls it “a closet issue within the closet issue of urinary incontinence.” I’m referring to adult bedwetting. The clinical term for it is nocturnal enuresis and though most people associate it with children and adolescents, there are a significant number of people who deal with this issue their entire life. Adult bedwetting may be moreContinue reading

Adult Man with Nocturnal Enuresis

My Story – Submitted by: Anonymous

I am almost 40 years old and suffer from adult nocturnal enuresis, the medical term for bedwetting. The following letter describes some of my experiences dealing with this disorder and my thoughts and feelings on the use of diapers to manage the problem. I think that some of my ideas might seem controversial, but I feel many people probably feel the same way but they’re afraid to say so. I realize this letter is long-but I feel that many of these ideas bear repeating. I thought that by sharing some of my experiences it might help people come to terms with their use of diapers to manage bedwetting.Continue reading

Bedwetting in Children (Nocturnal Enuresis)

mother child bedwetting

Mother checking her sleeping child who sometimes has bedwetting problems.

Nighttime bedwetting is called nocturnal enuresis or enuresis. Most children out grow bedwetting by the age of five, but many children at age seven (5% – 15%) continue to experience problems becoming continent – staying dry at night. Many of these children will stop bedwetting in their late childhood or teen years, but some will continue to experience enuresis into adulthood (0.5% – 1% in adults). Rarely, adults who did not previously experience enuresis will begin to experience bedwetting. A sudden onset of enuresis in adulthood can be a warning sign of serious health issues like diabetes, a urinary tract infection (UTI) or neurologic conditions and so a healthcare professional should be quickly consulted.Continue reading