Nocturia, or frequent voiding at night, can be a troublesome problem that robs you of sleep and causes excessive daytime sleepiness. When it is coupled with incontinence, the problem can be a true nightmare. What causes the problem? There can be many contributing factors to noctiria, including excesive fluid intake too close to bedtime, side effects of certain medications, and drinking beverages containing alcohol and caffeine, which may act as diuretics. Nocturia may be coupled with other voiding problems, such as stress incontinence, urge incontinence (overactive bladder) or overflow incontinence.
What can be done about it? The first step in coping with nocturia may be to eliminate some of the above factors that may be contributing to the problem. By avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages and caffeine-containing beverages too close to bedtime, you may find that your need to void during the night is decreased. If you feel that your medications may be contributing to the problem, you should speak to your physician about changing your medication times. Your physician may also want to rule out other, more serious, causes.
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Tags: Medications, nocturia, Types of Incontinence
