TEENAGERS AND INCONTINENCE
20,000 - 60,000 Australian teenagers experience some form of incontinence
These figures include teenagers that experience daytime wetting, bedwetting, soiling (faecal incontinence) or a combination of these issues.
The quality of life and psychosocial impacts of incontinence can be significant for people of any age, but are further amplified during the teenage years as it is a period of significant social and physical development.
The Continence Foundation’s adolescent support website Incontinence in Confidence provides information and advice around building confidence, motivational strategies, talking to friends about incontinence, mental health support, and how to manage incontinence during sports and sleepovers.
TEENAGE BEDWETTING
Around 2 in 100 teenagers and young adults wet the bed.
Teenagers and young adults who experience bedwetting are slightly more likely to have behavioural problems, but this could be due to the bedwetting rather than being its cause.
There is a range of reasons why past treatments may not have worked and professional advice and assessment is recommended.
If you are caring for a child with special needs and incontinence, practical tips and advice are available to assist you with your care.
CAUSES
Why teenagers wet the bed
The reasons for bedwetting among teenagers are the same reasons for bedwetting among children. In most cases teenagers haven't developed the appropriate brain control of bladder function at night. They're no more likely to have a sleep disorder than anyone else.
Adolescents are also very unlikely to have a medical problem with their kidneys or bladder. However, they should be checked by a doctor or specialist if this has not already been done.
It is unusual for an adolescent with bedwetting to have reached teen years without having had some form of bedwetting therapy. It is worth revisiting methods/therapies tried previously.
For more information and advice contact the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 and/or visit Incontinence in Confidence, the Continence Foundation’s adolescent support website.