Bedwetting in Teenagers and Young Adults in Cantonese

Is bed-wetting a problem in young adults?

About two out of every 100 young adults wet the bed at night (also called nocturnal enuresis). It can be a problem for both young men and women, with most young adults who wet the bed having done so since they were a child. While some may have had help as a child, many young people may never have had help with this problem. They may think bed-wetting will get better with time, or that it can’t be helped.

Some young people with night-time wetting may also have day-time bladder problems, such as passing urine more often and more urgently than normal, and urine leaks as they hurry to the toilet (also called overactive bladder).

Bed-wetting can make everyday life more difficult. Young adults may be embarrassed by this problem, and they may fear that people will find out. They can also have the expense and workload of extra washing. It can be tricky to stay away from home overnight or to share a bed or room with someone else. A big worry is what bed-wetting can mean for close personal relationships.

尿床發生在青少年身上是否有問題？

大概每100個青少年中就有2個會在夜晚尿床(也叫作夜間遺尿症)。男女青少年都可能出現尿床問題，大多數尿床的青少年在童年就有這個問題。有些人在小時侯可能得到過幫助，但是很多青少年在這個問題上可能從未得到過幫助。他們可能不是以為尿床會隨時間得到改善，就是以為尿床無法解決。

一些夜晚尿床的青少年可能白天排尿也有問題，例如排尿比正常頻繁而緊迫，並且在匆忙上廁所時漏尿(也叫作膀胱過度活躍)。

尿床會給日常生活增加困難。青少年可能會因為這個問題感到尷尬，並且害怕被人發現。他們還可能需要額外的開支和時間進行洗換。在外過夜或跟其他人同床或同房會很麻煩。更令人擔心的是尿床對親密關係會造成的影響。

Is help available for bed-wetting?

The good news is that you CAN get help. With careful review and treatment, bed-wetting can often be cured, even if past treatment did not help.

Even when it can’t be cured, you can reduce symptoms and keep bedding dry.

尿床的人能獲得幫助嗎？

好消息是你可以獲得幫助。經過細心的檢查及治療，尿床通常可以治癒，即使過去的治療沒有效。

即使無法治癒，你也可以減輕症狀，保持不尿濕床單。

What causes bed-wetting in young adults?

Wetting the bed is caused by a mix of three things:

• the body making a large amount of urine through the night;
• a bladder that can only store a small amount of urine at night; and
• not being able to fully wake up from sleep.

In some young adults there is likely to also be some change in bladder function that stops normal filling and emptying of urine through the day.

Worldwide research means that we now know more about the causes of bed-wetting, such as:

• bed-wetting can run in some families;
• some bladders can’t hold very much urine through the day and this can cause problems at night;
• some bladders do not fully empty on the toilet, which means urine stays in the bladder;
• some kidneys make larger amounts of urine than normal through the night.

甚麼導致青少年尿床？

尿床是由三個因素共同導致的：

• 身體在夜間產生大量尿液；
• 膀胱在夜間只能儲存少量尿液；以及
• 無法從睡眠中完全醒過來。

一些青少年很可能還有某些膀胱功能變化，阻止白天正常充盈及排空尿液。

全球範圍內的研究使我們現在知道更多關於尿床的原因，如：

• 尿床可能會有家族遺傳；
• 有些人的膀胱白天不能儲存多少尿液，而這會在夜間引起問題；
• 有些人不能在去廁所時排完尿，因此尿液會瀦留在膀胱內；
• 有些人的腎臟夜間產尿量比正常多；以及

Can there be other reasons for bed-wetting?

Some other things can make it hard to control bed-wetting, such as:

• constipation;
• infection in the kidney or bladder;
• drinking too many drinks with caffeine and/or alcohol;
• the use of some medications and illegal drugs; and
• allergies or enlarged adenoids and tonsils which block the nose or upper airways at night.

尿床還有其他原因嗎？

有一些其他原因會令尿床難以控制，如：

• 便秘；
• 腎臟或膀胱感染；
• 喝太多含咖啡因及/或酒精的飲料；
• 使用某些藥物及違禁藥物；以及
• 過敏或淋巴腺及扁桃腺增大，夜間堵塞鼻子或上呼吸道。

How can bed-wetting be helped?

Research has led to new types of treatment. Since bed-wetting in young adults can be more complex than in children, you must talk to a health professional with special training in bladder problems, such as a doctor, physiotherapist or continence nurse advisor. When you see this health professional, the problem will be reviewed and a physical check and some tests will be done. One test may check your urine flow (by passing urine in private into a toilet). Another test can check if your bladder empties right out. You may also be asked to do a bladder diary at home.

Treatment will depend on what was found in the check, but could be:

• treatment of constipation and bladder infection;
• drugs or sprays to boost how much your bladder can hold, or to cut down how much urine is made through the night;
• training to control how well the bladder stores and empties urine;
• use of an alarm that goes off when the bed becomes wet. This can be useful for young adults as well as children but may not be the first thing tried;
• a mix of some of the above treatments; and
• use of continence products to protect bedding and skin, reduce odour and increase comfort while treatment is underway.

Treatment can take a few months to work. If you only take the drugs or use the alarm now and then, it may not work at all. Some of the things that can increase the chance of becoming dry are:

• wanting to improve;
• having your treatment supervised; and
• putting in a big effort to make changes where you have been asked to.

When bed-wetting does not get better, it isn’t your fault in this case, you should see a specialist doctor who will do a more thorough review.

如何改善尿床？

已經研究出了新的治療方法。由於青少年尿床比兒童尿床更加複雜，你必須向在排尿問題方面受過特別訓練的醫護專業人士求助，如醫生，理療師或排便科護士顧問。當你去見醫護專業人士時，他們會覆查這個問題及做身體檢查和一些測試。其中有一項是通過自己去廁所排尿檢查你的排尿順暢程度。另一項是檢查你的膀胱是否能完全排空。可能還會要求你記錄每日排尿情況。

治療將取決於檢查結果，但可能會是：

• 治療便秘及膀胱感染；
• 用藥物或噴霧增加膀胱儲存量，或減少夜間產尿量；
• 鍛練控制膀胱儲存及排空尿液；
• 使用當床單被尿濕時會響的鬧鐘。青少年可以像兒童一樣採用這種方法，但可能不是首選方法；
• 結合上述一些治療；以及
• 使用排便節制產品保護床單及皮膚，在進行治療時減少臭味及增加舒適感。

治療可能要幾個月才有效。如果你只是間中服藥或使用鬧鐘，可能會完全無效。可以提高不再遺尿的機會的一些做法包括：

• 想改善的意願；
• 對治療進行監督指導；以及
• 在要求你做出改變的方面盡力去做。

如果尿床不好轉，那並不是你的過錯。在這種情況下，你應該去看專科醫師，做更徹底的檢查治療。

Seek help

Qualified nurses are available if you call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66* (Monday to Friday, between 8.00am to 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time) for free:

• Information;
• Advice; and
• Leaflets.

If you have difficulty speaking or understanding English you can access the Helpline through the free Telephone Interpreter Service on 13 14 50. The phone will be answered in English, so please name the language you speak and wait on the phone. You will be connected to an interpreter who speaks your language. Tell the interpreter you wish to call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66. Wait on the phone to be connected and the interpreter will assist you to speak with a continence nurse advisor. All calls are confidential.

Visit bladderbowel.gov.au or continence.org.au/other-languages

* Calls from mobile telephones are charged at applicable rates.

尋求幫助

如果你致電國家排便節制熱線，有資質的護士會接聽你的電話1800 33 00 66* （週一至週五，澳大利亞東部標準時間8:00am—8:00pm）。

• 信息；
• 建議；及
• 資料單張。

如果你在講英語或者理解上有困難，你可以透過撥打13 14 50獲取免費電話傳譯服務以接通國家排便節制熱線。電話會用英語接通，因此請說明你要講的語言並且不要掛機。你會被連接到一個講你母語的傳譯員。告知傳譯員你想要致電國家排便節制熱線，電話是1800 33 00 66。待電話接通後傳譯員會幫助你與排便節制護理顧問對話，所有的來電均保密。

請登陸：bladderbowel.gov.au或者continence.org.au/other-languages

* 用手機打出會收取相應費用。