20 February 2017
Bladder weakness & urinary incontinence at night could be a sign of diabetes
Diabetes can cause a host of medical complications, some well-known and others less
so. Bladder and voiding (bladder emptying) problems are quite common in people with diabetes, both in those who have had trouble maintaining good blood glucose control and in those who have been able to keep a tight rein on their levels.
Dr Hilary Jones recently in the Express Newspaper advised those who have bladder weakness at night could have diabetes. "If bladder weakness is only being experienced at night when in deep sleep and not during the day, it could be the first sign of something new such as a urine infection or diabetes. Taking sedatives or being under a lot of stress can also contribute to night time bladder weakness."
Many people don’t realise incontinence can occur only at night, but it is a common appearance in some adults. For a small number of adults they never stay dry every night from childhood but many more develop it as they get older for various reasons e.g. prostate enlargement in men and overactive bladder symptoms in women. They may be fine during the day but at night in deep sleep they don’t respond to the early signals that they need to get up and go to the toilet. Also some people may simply produce more urine at night or have developed a smaller bladder capacity. Also those who are feeling stressed or have a urinary tract infection are more likely to experience bladder weakness at night.
If you are suffering from night time incontinence, there are things you could do to improve the symptoms:
- Avoid drinking things which irritate the lining of the bladder, such as alcohol and caffeinated beverages.
- Retrain your bladder to become less agitated by waiting and increasing the time between bathroom trips, which ultimately strengthens the bladder and increases its capacity. However don’t hold on for several hours as this can lead to a bladder infection.
Dr Hilary Jones also recommends that if you are concerned about incontinence then it is best to speak to your doctor. "Minimally invasive or surgical treatment options can remedy a prostate problem in men. One thing is for sure - nobody should suffer in silence although regrettably many thousands of people do so unnecessarily."
Dr Hilary Jones is brand ambassador for TENA Lady.
If you are suffering from incontinence issues during the day or night please see our Incontinence UK website for our wide range of incontinence products and brands. We stock a range of disposable incontinence pads and incontinence pants as well as a range of washable incontinence bed products to help keep your nice and dry in bed all night long.
Best Wishes
Incontinence UK Team
www.incontinenceuk.co.uk
