A helpful guide for parents about nocturnal enuresis
Bed wetting frustrates a lot of parents, and kids consider this problem as one terribly humiliating experience. This is something worse than the monsters under their beds and closets. The medical term for bedwetting is Nocturnal Enuresis. In some cases, kids experience this condition even until their teens which prevents them from enjoying sleepovers and slumber parties. For a child with involuntary bedwetting, the mere thought of sleeping over at someone’s house is fearful and anxiety-filled that his or her secret will be discovered.
What causes Nocturnal Enuresis is not exactly known. Studies show that the number of kids suffering from this condition is about 5 to 7 million and that this condition is more common in boys than in girls.
How can you say that your child have Nocturnal Enuresis?
A child who wets the bed at one time does not mean that he or she have Nocturnal Enuresis. Doctors would put your child under a thorough physical examination to diagnose if your child really has Nocturnal Enuresis. The doctor will determine if your child’s Nocturnal Enuresis or involuntary bedwetting happens frequently and repetitively. If a child has bed wetting episode at least 2 times a week for at least three weeks, then this points to Nocturnal Enuresis.
Your doctor may also consider the medical history of your child. The process of diagnosing Nocturnal Enuresis involves the conduct on the basis of ruling out other medical condition to finally point out the underlying cause of the bed wetting episodes. The child’s medical history will play an important part of the diagnosis as this will answer questions regarding the medications that the child is taking, if there is a urinary tract infections, bladder or spinal cord abnormalities, seizure related disorders or diabetes. Doctors will also consider genetics as one factor and will look if there is a family history of Nocturnal Enuresis.
What causes Nocturnal Enuresis or Bed Wetting?
Knowing the answer to this question may provide parents and doctors help in determining the existence of Nocturnal Enuresis. However, the cause is very hard to pin-point as it makes for a puzzle than a simple lab test. Still there are some definite signs that cause Nocturnal Enuresis, for instance, childhood stress including divorce of parents, death of beloved and significant changes in school or at home can easily trigger Nocturnal Enuresis. For some, delayed and slowed growth and development is also one major cause of bed wetting. It could also be that the child’s bladder is too small to hold much liquid, or it may simply that the child is a heavy sleeper and won’t wake up to go to the bathroom.
Though there are certain medications that can cause a child to wet the bed, this does not constitute to Nocturnal Enuresis. Soon as child stops taking the prescribed medication, bed wetting episodes will stop as well.
If a child’s Nocturnal Enuresis is caused by a medical condition or problem, treatment should be started based on the doctor’s prescription on such condition. Whatever you may think about your child’s Nocturnal Enuresis, it is very much advisable to take the child to the doctor for proper analysis and treatment.