About 1 in every 50 Australian teenagers experience some form of bladder or bowel control problem (incontinence).
The main bladder and bowel problems for young people are:
Bedwetting
Bedwetting in young people is very common. 2 out of every 100 young people will have a problem with bedwetting. This may have been a problem since childhood.
There are a few things that cause bedwetting in young people:
- your body making a large amount of wee through the night
- your bladder only storing a small amount of wee at night
- sleeping very deeply
- it runs in the family
Some other conditions that make it hard to control bedwetting include:
Bedwetting in young people can be complex. You should talk to your doctor or a health professional with special training in bladder problems.
What can you do to help?
If you, or a young person you know, has incontinence, it’s important to get help rather than accept or hide it. Talk to your doctor or a continence advisor. Help is available.
There are some simple things you can do to help if you do have a problem:
- maintain good toilet habits
- get a bladder control check up
- get a management plan from your doctor
For more help and advice you can see the Watertight booklet or visit Incontinence in Confidence.