Nocturia
Nocturia (Excessive Urination at Night) is a medical term for excessive urination especially at night and during sleep. This is a medical condition and a symptom of any of the different types of urinary disorder. This is a secondary bedwetting syndrome marked by involuntary loss of urine and is common in the elderly.
Bedwetting is prevalent in children from age 0 to about 4 years old. A child’s bladder reaches maturity by the time the toddler is potty trained, usually at age 5. Although every child’s bladder matures at different age, children generally stop bedwetting by the time they reach 6 years old. When a child suddenly starts bedwetting again after a long period of being dry then parents should start to worry.
Causes of Nocturia
A variety of medical conditions can cause nocturia. Common causes of nocturia are a urinary tract infection (UTI) or bladder infection. These infections cause frequent burning sensations and urgent urination throughout the day and night.
- Infection or enlargement of the prostate Bladder prolapse
- Tumors of the bladder, prostate, or pelvic area
- Diabetes
- Kidney infection
- Edema or Swelling of the lower legs
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, or spinal cord compression
Symptoms of Nocturia
Healthy individuals are usually able to sleep for at least six to eight hours without waking up from sleep for urinating. However, people suffering from this syndrome wake up more than once at night to pass urine. This can disrupt normal cycle of sleep in individuals. It is one of the major signs of Nocturia. In a person with this disorder the body produces a large amount of urine while he or she sleeps. There may be release of a high volume of urine that can even be more than 2 litres every day. The person finds it unable to hold high volume of urine at night and is forced to wake up and urinate.
Diagnoses of Nocturia
They may also have you undergo testing such as:
- blood sugar test to check for diabetes
- other blood tests for blood counts and blood chemistry
- urinalysis
- urine culture
- fluid deprivation test
- imaging tests, such as ultrasounds or CT scans
- urological tests, like cystoscopy
Prevention of Nocturia
Patients of this syndrome are also advised to take afternoon naps. They are recommended to elevate the legs while sleeping and wear compression stockings, which help in preventing accumulation of fluids in the bladder.
- Reducing intake of fluids, such as caffeinated beverages, coffee and alcohol, in the evening – especially in the hours to go before sleep.
- Limit intake of diuretics to specific times such as in mid- afternoon and six hours before bedtime at night.