Joanne, Specialist Nurse at Bladder & Bowel UK talks about what Nocturia is an the common symptoms to look out for. Many people experience night-time bladder problems. One of these conditions is known as Nocturia.

Nocturia is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as:

“The number of times urine is passed during the main sleep period. Having woken to pass urine for the first time, each urination must be followed by sleep or the intention to sleep. This should be quantified using the bladder diary.”

The common symptoms are:

• To be woken from sleep by the desire to pass urine – not to be mistaken with a poor sleep pattern
• Urinary frequency during the night, more than twice a night
• Passing large volumes of urine at night

• Inability to sleep through the need to pass urine

Some people experience this over a long period of time before seeking help. Many put it down to age and although the incidence does increase with age it can happen to anyone at any age.

This can lead to:

Chronic insomnia, fatigue, complaints from a bed partner and other household members and the risk of falls with social, psychological, physical and financial implications and consequences.

Many describe low mood, lack of interest in hobbies, loss of concentration and change in lifestyle due to constant sleep disturbance and reduced amount of effective rest. Overall a reduction in an individual’s quality of life is, also, reported.

This is an area of bladder dysfunction not always addressed as individuals do not seek help. If you as a health professional want to know more about this condition or want to raise awareness with your patients check out a wonderful website recently launched by Ferring Pharmaceuticals Limited – https://nocturia.co.uk/

Alternatively, if you, your team or local multi-disciplinary team wants awareness training in this area please contact Bladder & Bowel UK as training is available. Email: bbuk@disabledliving.co.uk