When Does Bedwetting Become a Problem

This post was written by Alex on June 6, 2011
Does your child sleep so soundly that they wet the bed?

When I was potty training my first born, he was waking up with dry diapers from the get-go. I was happy I didn’t have to buy any more diapers and moved on, not thinking much more about it. But now that I’ve become a more “seasoned” parent, I realize that this was pretty darn good. Many of his peers, at age 5, are still not able to sleep through the night without a pull-up. And, you see the ads for “underwear-like diapers” for big kids, showing that bedwetting can last way beyond the potty training years. So why does this happen, how can you fix it, and when does it actually become a problem? Breezy Mama turned to Dr. Baruch Kushnir, a worldwide expert in bed wetting, bladder control, child development and the author of the book The Magic Bowl: Potty Training Made Easy.

I’ve heard that bed wetting can also be called “eneuresis”—is this the same thing?

Yes. Nocturnal enuresis, commonly called bedwetting, is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control usually occurs. Nocturnal enuresis is considered primary (PNE) when a child has not yet had a prolonged period of being dry. Secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) is when a child or adult begins wetting again after having stayed dry.

Bedwetting is the most common childhood urologic complaint? and one of the most common pediatric-health issues. Most bedwetting, however, is just a developmental delay—not an emotional problem or physical illness. Only a small percentage (5% to 10%) of bedwetting cases are caused by specific medical situations. Bedwetting is frequently associated with a family history of the condition.

I’m just potty training my 2 ? year old—how long should it be before I expect her to sleep through the night dry? (Or knowing to wake up and go to the bathroom)?

Most kids stop bedwetting as part of their natural development. It is possible to try and accelerate the process by taking the child off the diaper for about two weeks. If the number of dry nights increases? gradually – continue without the diaper. If wetting continues – return to using the diaper. From age 3 onward it is possible to consider intervention using the bedwetting alarm.

I see advertisements for “ night diapers” made for older children–why does bedwetting still occur at this age?

Most children achieve bladder control between the ages of 18 months and three years of age. At the age of 5 about 20% of the children wet their beds.? The incidents are reduced gradually with age. At the age of 18 between 1.5% and 3% wet their beds. The problem is usually a result of a dysfunction of the reflex system that controls the bladder.

At what age does bedwetting become a “problem”?

Most children achieve bladder control between the ages of 18 months and three years of age. It is possible to apply effective treatment with the bedwetting alarm from the age of 3. It is recommended to treat the problem before the child reaches an age when he/she begins to feel different from other children and is prevented from participating in summer camps, sleepovers and other social activities requiring sleeping away from home.

How do you teach a child to not wet the bed?

Control of the bladder during sleep is acquired naturally in most children.? However it is possible to try taking off the diaper for about two weeks or intervene with use of the bedwetting alarm.

What if a child is scared to get up in the middle of the night to use the potty?

Parents should learn about the particular type of help the child needs to cope with this fear. Kids should be encouraged to wake the parents for help and be provided with some light along the route to the bathroom.

Is there anything a parent can do to help the child wake up and use the bathroom?

Being dry at night is not dependent on waking the child to go the bathroom.??? Most kids and adults sleep through the night and wake up dry, without any “reminders.” An animated film demonstrating the functioning of the bladder can be viewed at: www.dr-kushnir.com.? The most effective approach to dealing with bedwetting is the use of the bedwetting alarm. It alerts the child to go to the bathroom at the right time, and eventually gain control of the bladder while sleeping through the night.

Can stress lead to bedwetting?

Children who have some degree of dysfunction of the reflex bladder control system are prone to have incidents of wetting when under emotional stress.

If yes, and something happens that triggers bedwetting several nights in a row, do you have the child wear a diaper at night even though they have been diaper free for a while?

This could be an elegant way of assisting the child. However, attention should be paid to seeking ways to understand the source of stress and help the child to cope with it. In addition, treatment intervention with the use of a bedwetting alarm should also be considered to achieve a situation where the child will not wet under any conditions, including stress.

Is there a medication that can help an older child from wetting the bed?

The medication most frequently used for treatment of bedwetting is the hormone Minirin (also known as Desmopressin). It is a tablet that dissolves under the tongue, taken before bedtime.? It is effective in about 60% of the children who take it. In almost all these cases there is a complete relapse once the medication is stopped. It could be of significant help in specific events, such as sleepovers, and reduce the social restrictions that bedwetting imposes. However, the most effective intervention for a long term solution is the bedwetting alarm when administered under professional guidance and support.

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Fertility And Best Way For A Problem Free Conception

Hope you are probably not thinking about having a baby in near future? In fact?you are likely to spend a fair amount of energy trying to avoid pregnancy. But it actually pays to give a little thought to your fertility now.

That’s because the lifestyle choices we make today have an impact on whether one be able to be a mom down the road. Women are born with the limited number of eggs, and if you damage them, it reduces the chances of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy. The same goes with other reproductive structures like fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix.

Not that this means that you need to be stocking up on the ovulation test kits while you are still playing the field. In fact, the biggest hindrance to fertility is age, something on which you have no control over. Heredity is also a factor, if your mom went into the menopause early you may be genetically destined to follow suit. But, you can control some other key factors. So take these measures now to give yourself the best chance of a problem free conception later.

If you are likely many women out there, you look at your body fat as the enemy. But, here is a fact that may help you see a little triceps pudge or tummy bulge in a new light. Oestrogen, a hormone that’s the key to keeping your reproductive cycle functioning normally, is stored in fat, so if you don’t have enough padding, whether it’s because you don’t eat enough or you exercise maniacally, your fertility could be at risk. Ideally a woman should have 22 to 25 percent body fat, and when it falls below 19 percent, they are probably going to have problems to maintain ovulation.

Most of the time, women with low fat related infertility just need to gain weight and they will have no trouble conceiving. But if you are so under weight or you exercise so much that you no longer have a period at all, the situation might not be reversible, even if you gain weight.

On the other hand, being overweight can keep you from getting pregnant too. Women who are more than 20 percent above their ideal weight which normally translates to a body mass index of more than 25 may produce too much oestrogen and too much of the male hormone androgen, which could make them infertile. While this type of infertility is fully reversible once you loose the excess weight, we all know how hard that can be. So if you are packing 20 or more extra pounds and think you will want to get pregnant one day even if not for years start a slim down programme now.

In addition to the zillion other reasons you should not smoke, the toxin in cigrates contain can kill or damage the eggs in your ovaries. Cigarettes should come with a warning label that reads’’ this product can have harmful effect on your fertility”. Since the number of eggs you have is fixed, the more you harm, the more you limit your chance of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy.

Plus, smokers enters the menopause an average of two years earlier than non smokers , which means nicotine habit also cuts short your fertile period. The only good news is if you quit now, you will limit the damage. The impact is reversible, but the minute you stop smoking you stop its negative effects too.

Scarily, one of the biggest risks to your fertility is a disease that often has no symptoms, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). It can lead to scaring in your fallopian tubes, making it difficult .If not impossible, for the egg to meet the sperm. Damaged fallopian tubes are tough to treat and can make you permantely sterile, which is what happens to about 12 percent of women with PID.

PID is caused by Chlamydia and gonorrhea, sexually transmitted infections that are easily treatable but can lead to big problems if one doesn’t catch them in time. Symptoms of gonorrhea typically include bleeding during sex, pain or burning during urination, and yellow or bloody vaginal discharge, although it can also have no symptoms.

Chlamydia is particularly dangerous because it often has no symptoms at all and can lead to PID within just weeks if left untreated. Condoms block both of these infections, so practicing safe sex is the best way to protect yourself. But if you do have unsafe sex or the condoms slips or breaks, see your gyno pronto and specifically to be tested for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The tests are not included in a basic pap smear you have to ask for them. Even if you do safe sex, you should request these tests with your annual pelvic exam, just to be safe. Both infections are easy to treat with antibiotics, but it is important to make sure your partner is treated as well or you can become re infected.

If you suddenly have heavier or more painful periods or other discomfort down below, don’t just pop up a painkiller and ignore it. These symptoms could signal a fertility damaging disorder. Pelvic pain is very painful menstrual cramps, and spotting between periods are all symptoms of endometriosis, a condition that occurs when the tissue that lines uterus start to grow outside of it.

Endometriosis affects about 10 percent of women of child bearing age and leads to infertility 30 to 40 percent of the time. If you catch endometriosis early, you can stop its progress. The usual treatment involves taking birth control pills continuously which keeps the uterine lining thin and stops its overgrowth.

Another disorder that leads to infertility is uterine fibroids, which are non cancerous tumors in the uterus .The symptoms of fibroids is heavy bleeding and general pelvic pain .Fibroids are not as big as endometriosis, but they can cause problems if they go unchecked. If they distort the lining of the uterus, it can be harder for an embryo to implant.

Photo Credit: Allaboutdiapers.com

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How To Recognize And Overcome The Problem Of Binge Eating

Binge eating like anorexia nervosa and bulimia is a type of eating disorder. When a person consumes large portions of food in extremely short periods of time he is said to be bingeing.

The problem of bingeing on food is referred to as binge eating disorder. People who indulge in binge eating are not able to control their food intake and often feel depressed or unhappy after eating excessive amounts of food.

Eating large amounts of food should not be mistaken for binge eating disorder. Some people are born with a huge appetite. However if people eat huge quantities of food and later feel unhappy about the fact that they have consumed such a large quantity of food, then they are said to be suffering from the binge eating disorder.

Initially when a person starts having this eating disorder they may be able to maintain normal body weight. However as time passes and they are unable to control their excessive eating habits it begins to take a toll on their health and they start to suffer from obesity. Along with uncontrolled eating habits people with binge eating disorder also suffer from anxiety problems, depression and other allied emotional problems.

Nearly four million Americans suffer from the eating disorder called binge eating. A common misconception is that overweight or obese individuals are the only ones who suffer from the binge eating problem. In fact many people of normal body weight also have this condition. Women are more likely to suffer from this eating disorder than men.

Women may binge eat to hide their anxieties, worries or depressions. Teenagers who are extremely obese may also be suffering from binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is not restricted to a particular race. People of any race who suffer from various psychological problems may seek comfort by eating excessive amounts of food. Research has revealed that younger people are more likely to suffer from this problem as compared to older individuals.

Extensive research has revealed that individuals with certain unique personality traits are more likely to suffer from binge eating than others. Attention seekers, people with low self esteem, control freaks, perfectionists, moody people, and those who suffer from different kinds of phobias may suffer from the problem of binge eating.

Children whose parents are very controlling and individuals who suffer from identity crisis; as also people who have the need to constantly please others have a higher incidence of suffering from this eating disorder. Researchers have yet to determine the causative factors behind binge eating disorder. Negative emotions like anger, sadness, depression and anxiety play an important role in creating this disorder. People who suffer from extreme loneliness also start binge eating. People vent their anger or hide their depression by eating far too much food.

Some people start binge eating after an extended period of dieting.? Here negative body image is causing people to binge eat. After dieting and becoming very thin some people become unhappy with their body shape and start eating excessively to put on weight and change their body shape. People who act in an impulsive manner may also suffer from binge eating problem. A part of the impulsive behavior extends to their eating habits as well. Once they start eating they are unable to stop themselves.

People who abuse alcohol or take drugs also exhibit unnatural eating habits. Alcoholics and drug addicts are mostly unaware of what they are doing and may end up eating far too much food because of their impaired levels of consciousness. A person who suffers from this disorder will exhibit many classic symptoms which are unique to this particular eating problem. One of the classic signs of a binge eater is eating food far too quickly. In fact it almost feels like the person is shoveling food into their mouth.

A person with this disorder will consume huge portions of food spread over a period of two hours and will repeat this process of eating vast quantities of food twice a week. A person suffering from binge eating disorder will continue eating despite feeling uncomfortably full. Binge eaters also eat during periods when they are not feeling hungry. Here food is not eaten to meet energy requirements of the body but in order to find relief from some anxiety or simply to get comfort.

When a person is binge eating, they will do it in the privacy of their homes or bedroom away from other people’s scrutiny. Binge eaters normally feel upset and depressed after a binge eating episode. They also experience a sense of complete lack of control.

Obesity is the least of the health problems that individuals with binge eating suffer from. Those who have this eating disorder may suffer from multiple health complications including high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, heart diseases, type2 diabetes, and gall bladder disease and may also have a higher chance of suffering from certain types of cancers.

A physical examination is the best way to understand whether a person is suffering from binge eating disorder or not. Other than a physical examination the doctor would request to see the patient’s medical history as well. Once the patient has been diagnosed with binge eating disorder, the doctor may refer the binge eater to a counselor who can give them proper advice and counsel them to give up eating excessive amounts of food.

A two pronged approach is normally adopted to treat the problem of binge eating. A combination of counseling and medication can help people overcome the problem of binge eating. There are basically four types of counseling which can people help with this particular eating disorder overcome their problem. These are cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, group counseling and family therapy.

The urge to binge eat is controlled by cognitive behavioral therapy. The connection between your relationships and binge eating episodes are examined through interpersonal therapy. A binge eater may be asked to go in for dialectical behavioral therapy to control their negative emotions. Group counseling helps a binge eater to connect with other people having a similar problem. Family therapy helps to control any undue pressure or interference on the part of the family members. Antidepressants are prescribed to control mood swings and manic depression episodes.

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