Nocturnal enuresis is simply another name given to what is commonly referred to as bed wetting. This is a problem normally associated with children but it can affect teens and adults as well and is a condition that cannot be ignored and requires a medical evaluation.
This form of incontinence is divided into two types primary and secondary.
Primary refers to an otherwise healthy child who has not been able to achieve continence. Before you rush your baby off to the doctor, understand that only about 1 out of 3 four year olds can make it through the night without urinating. In fact doctors will typically not diagnose a child for this condition who is under seven years old. Also if one or more of the parents suffered this condition the likelihood of the child developing it grows substantially.
Secondary is normally associated with an organic disease. Incontinence by itself is not a disease but a symptom of underlying conditions and those conditions can be serious. Bed wetting could be caused by diseases that promote the production of urine like diabetes, mellitus and insipidus and that is the reason that a medical evaluation is so important.
Once those diseases are ruled out as the root problem your doctor can look for other causes including urinary tract infections, stones, nerve damage or chronic constipation. You can help the doctor in the diagnosis by being ready to describe symptoms like burning sensation when urinating, cloudy or bloody urine or an excessive need to urinate.
There is another cause that can affect children and teens and that's a psychological response to a trauma that they experience in their life. It may be something like the arrival of a new sibling, the loss of a parent through death or divorce or bullying. Abused children often are bed wetters. This condition obviously calls for professional psychological help and can be devastating if left untreated.
Nocturnal enuresis is a form of incontinence that really cries out for professional medical evaluation. Don't hesitate to arrange an appointment with your doctor.