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Posts Tagged ‘bed wetting’

Bed Wetting Alarms Get Good Results

Friday, March 5th, 2010

If you have a child that is having problems mastering that last little piece of toilet training and staying dry throughout the night, take heart, because this problem is fairly common. By the time a child is about six years old, they have normally developed the ability to sleep through the night without needing to go to the bathroom, and if they do need to go to the bathroom, their bladder sends a message to the brain which awakens them so that they can get up and go to the bathroom.

Modifying behavior by limiting fluid intake several hours before bedtime and using a bed wetting alarm can be very successful in training your child to stay dry throughout the night. These alarms are attach to a child’s pajamas or underwear in an area where you would expect the first drops of wetness to occur. As soon as the monitor senses moisture, the alarm sounds and wakes the child prompting them to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Over time a child learns to feel a full bladder, and they will get up to go to the bathroom before the alarm sounds.

When you are looking for a bed wetting alarm notice how it attaches to the child. For example, does it come with its own special pair of underwear, of does it attach to the child’s underwear. You can also find a pad style alarm for those who would rather not have the alarm attached to their clothing.

Once the alarm sounds, it needs to be silenced, and there are different styles of alarms available with different shut offs. Removing the sensor from wetness and hitting a reset button is a common setup. This two step routine keeps the alarm from being turned off accidentally. You can also find wireless alarms which require getting out of bed and turning off the alarm at the base unit on the wall.

The alarm itself can be worn on the shoulder, be placed on the bedside table or across the room. Having the sound close to the ear is great if the child will hear the alarm and get up to urinate. However, if they still need prompting from their parents, then having a wall mounted unit may be easier for everyone, the child and parents, to hear.

These bed wetting alarms are also available with other sensory stimulation like vibration, which simply makes the alarm more effective. The vibration acts like the gentle shaking of the shoulder. Of course if your child is a very sound sleeper, then having a volume control is essential. Top volume is usually needed when both parent and child need to respond to the alarm. When your child first starts using the alarm, you will want to help and guide them with its use. If your child is a very sound sleeper, you will want to make sure that the alarm awakens them. So when you hear the alarm, you need to quickly awaken your child.

As you are working with your child to put the finishing touches on toilet training, you may want to enlist the assistance of some protective coverings for your mattresses, or even a disposable mattress pad. DryForLife is happy to advise you on products that may help make your situation easier to manage, and you can order them online or over the phone. Then they are delivered right to your home with fast, convenient shipping.

Further Bed Wetting Articles

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A Positive Approach to Enuresis Treatment

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Enuresis, or bed wetting, happens when a child over the age of about six accidentally urinates. While this involuntary urination can happen any time, either during the day or during the night, the more typical problem in children is nighttime enuresis, and the enuresis treatment for nighttime bed wetting is behavior training o5 drugs, or both..

If your child is having a nighttime accident, two or more times per month, then they are suffering from enuresis. Two of the most common reactions that parents have when an older child is bed wetting are to either do nothing at all or to punish the child. Both of these approaches are absolutely no help at all. Instead of leaving the child to figure the problem out on their own, let them know that this problem is common, and then get them some help.

The first line of assistance can come from you. Begin by regulating their bathroom times during waking hours so that they are not having to hold urine for an extended period of time. Always have your child go to the bathroom before going to sleep, and reduce liquids several hours before going to bed.

This type of behavior modification is the most successful when your child is between five and eight years old. While it may not solve the problem, it is a sensible place to start, and coupling it with positive reinforcement can work. However, when it does not work you can employ the use of a bed wetting alarm. These small alarms awaken the child when it is time for the child to go to the bathroom. It may take a couple of months to fully train your child, but bed wetting alarms have a really high success rate if they are used properly and consistently.

There are also drugs that are very effective for enuresis treatment. Some medications decrease the volume of urine that is produced during sleep, and it has been used with very good results. A doctor may prescribe this type of medication for a time, and then stop to see if the problem has righted itself.

All children develop at different rates, and remaining dry throughout the night is essentially the last stage of toilet training. After the age of six if a child is still wetting the bed at night, then they are considered to have nocturnal enuresis.

There are two types of enuresis, primary and secondary. Primary enuresis occurs when a child has never been completely toilet trained. Frequently the cause for primary enuresis is that the body is making more urine than the bladder can hold, and the child does not awaken to go to the bathroom. The child’s brain has not learned to respond to the wake up signal when the bladder is full.

Secondary enuresis occurs when a child has been completely toilet trained for at least six months. When a child suffers from secondary enuresis, the problem could be physical, emotional or a change in sleep patterns. Normally when a child is suffering from secondary enuresis, a doctor will not begin treating the child until they know what the cause of the problem is.

If your child is suffering from enuresis, it is important to get the righe enuresis treatment and use the right products to help your child avoid accidental embarrassment. Whether your are looking for nighttime mattress protection or protective undergarments for your child, DryForLife has been helping people find just the right products to suit their situation for over forty years. You can order by phone or online, and have the products shipped directly to your home quickly and discretely.

Further Bed Wetting Articles

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Enuresis Nocturna Can be a Nightmare

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Bedwetting, or enuresis nocturna, can happen any time that a person falls asleep. While it primarily happens when you are sleeping at night, it could happen if you fall asleep on an airplane or in front of the television. This problem frequently goes unreported simply because it is embarrassing, and it frequently keeps people who suffer from living their life to the fullest. Young adults may forgo the college experience for fear of being found out, and young working adults may pass on a business trip for the same reason. Some young adults may even postpone serious dating lest their partner should find out their shameful secret.

Adult bedwetting can be caused by an overactive bladder, which can cause urinary leakage even during waking hours. An infection like a urinary tract infection, diabetes or kidney disorders can also be the culprits behind nocturnal enuresis. Stress, anxiety, or loss of muscle elasticity can be underlying causes for this condition as well.

If you are suffering from enuresis nocturna, there are some things that you can do to mitigate its symptoms. Start by not drinking anything after dinner. This will help you keep from going to bed with a full bladder. Then limit foods that act like diuretics such as caffeine. You can also set an alarm to wake you in the middle of the night so that you can get up to go to the bathroom, and this should keep your bladder from overfilling. You can also practice holding your urine during the daytime to help increase the size of your bladder.

If you are having problems with enuresis nocturna, talk to your doctor or medical health professional so that they can assess any underlying causes for the problem, which may even help to cure it. While your doctor is helping you solve your problem remember that incontinence pads come in a great variety of shapes, sizes, and absorbencies to deal with mild to severe incontinence. They protect from skin irritation, and are invaluable in protecting clothing and furniture. DryForLife supplies incontinence pads with all of these qualities, allowing you the freedom live your life confidently.

Further Enuresis Articles

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Adult Bedwetting: Causes and Management

Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is the involuntary voiding of urine during sleep after the age at which bladder control is normally established. Both men and women can suffer from uncontrollable bedwetting. Often, adults who wet their beds refuse to discuss their discomfort even with their own doctors because they feel embarrassed. This is a rather unfortunate mistake because your doctor can give you advice on ways to improve symptoms as well as possible treatments for bedwetting.
Bedwetting is a complex disorder because many factors are thought to play a significant part. Bedwetting that occurs in adulthood may either be persistent primary enuresis or secondary enuresis.

Primary nocturnal enuresis begins during childhood, where nighttime dryness has not been achieved for longer than six months. If this is not resolved during childhood or teenage years, it is quite likely that bedwetting will persist into adulthood.

The causes of primary nocturnal enuresis may be any of the following:

  • Strong genetic predisposition - The exact mechanism for the inheritance of the disorder is still unknown.
  • Insufficient production of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) at night - Your ADH level normally increases during the night, causing your body to produce a smaller total volume of urine during sleep. If your ADH level is not high enough, urine production is increased.
  • Abnormalities of the urinary bladder - Some nocturnal enuresis sufferers have smaller than normal bladders.
  • Psychological factors - Stress and other psychological issues have long been thought to play a part in bedwetting.
Secondary enuresis occurs when a person has established bladder control for a period of six months, and begins wetting the bed again.

The causes of secondary enuresis may be any of the following:

  • Diabetes
  • Chronic constipation
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Urinary tract stones
  • Prostate enlargement
  • Bladder cancer
  • Neurological disorders
Age or illness can weaken the muscles that control the flow of urine to your urethra. If these muscles weaken, you may leak urine during sleep, or you may be unable to stop the flow of urine when your bladder is full.
Adults who suffered from spinal cord trauma from a fall, auto accident, or other traumatic event may also be at risk for secondary enuresis. Anxiety or other emotional disorders are considered as rare causes of adult bedwetting.

Some medications that can cause a deep sleep can lead to adult bedwetting. Such medicines do not enable a person to wake when the urge to urinate occurs.

Management Options for Adult Bedwetting

Adult bedwetting needs to be evaluated by your doctor. If you have relatives suffering from adult enuresis, you need to encourage them to talk about their problem. Their concerns must be treated sensitively, and they must be gently persuaded to seek medical attention. There are a number of treatment and condition management options for bedwetting. These include medications, programs to change the sleep pattern, and exercises to improve the bladder control.

Many adults suffering from bedwetting find absorbent pads, protective underwear and waterproof mattress pads to be extremely helpful. These products promote comfort and at the same time ease clean up of bedwetting incidents. DryForLife supplies incontinence pads, which may be ordered online and delivered discreetly right to your front door.

 Additional Bedwetting Articles

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What are the Types of Urinary Incontinence?

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Stress urinary incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence can be due to insufficient strength of the pelvic floor muscles. This condition is associated with actions that increase intra-abdominal pressure, thereby increasing pressure on the bladder,  such as exercise, lifting weights, coughing, sneezing, and laughing. The underlying problem with stress incontinence is the weakness of the bladder sphincter muscle.

This condition is extremely common in  women who have given birth, are pregnant, or who have been through menopause. In men, this is the most common form of incontinence subsequent to undergoing prostatectomy. The good news is that we can treat stress incontinence.

Urge incontinence
Urge incontinence is characterized by the sudden loss of urine occurring following a sudden and urgent need to urinate. Urges are accompanied by uncomfortable bladder spasms. Involuntary detrusor muscle contraction is the most common cause of urge incontinence, causing the bladder to empty before it is full. Another name for urge incontinence is reflex incontinence. It may also be referred to as spastic or overactive bladder.

There are two type of urge incontinence: (a). idiopathic detrusor overactivity – due to surrounding or local inflammation, infection, or irritation of the bladder; (b) neurogenic detrusor overactivity – due to defective central nervous system inhibitory response.

Mixed urinary incontinence
Mixed incontinence is a term used to describe the condition of having two or more types of incontinence. The most common combination of mixed incontinence is urge and stress incontinence.

Transitional Incontinence
Transitional incontinence is experienced for a short period of time. This condition may result from specific circumstances which, when dealth with, lead to an incontinence “cure”. A common example of this would be urinary tract infection. Once the infection is treated, the person is no longer incontinent.

Functional incontinence
Functional incontinence is incontinence due to physical limitation or limited mobility of the person, who is unable to get to the bathroom in time. This is common with people suffering from Alzheimer’s, confusion, dementia, arthritis or in  people who have problems with thinking, moving or communicating.

Overflow incontinence
Overflow incontinence is characterized by leaking or dribbling of urine due to over-filling of the bladder. This is usually due to weakness of the bladder muscles or a blockage in the urethra, resulting in incomplete emptying of the bladder. This is common among people suffering from diabetes, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, or benign prostatic hypertrophy. Medication such as anticholinergic can worsen this condition.

Structural incontinence
This is the rarest form of incontinence and is caused by structural problems usually diagnosed in childhood. An example of this is ectopic ureter. Surgery is frequently required to effect a cure.

Bedwetting (enuresis)
Bedwetting is normal with young children. This condition is also called episodic urinary incontinence while asleep.

For more information, you can download our DryForLife Guide to Living with Incontinence.  You can also email or call our Discreet Advice Helpline or Freephone 0800 180 4325 to find out more about incontinence products available to help you cope on a day-to-day basis.

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Physiology of Urinary Incontinence

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Definition:

Urinary Incontinence -  the involuntary and unplanned leakage of urine due to loss of bladder control.

Physiologic Anatomy:

The urinary bladder is a smooth muscled organ composed of two parts:  (a) the body - the major part of the bladder where the urine collects, and (b) the neck - which is a funnel-shaped extension of the body, passing inferiorly to the urethra.

The smooth muscle of the bladder is known as the detrusor muscle.  Its muscle fibers extend in all directions and, when contracted, it can increase the pressure in the bladder to sometimes as high as 40-60 mmHg.

On the posterior wall of the bladder, immediately above the bladder neck, two ureters enter the bladder.  Where each ureter enters the bladder, it courses obliquely through the detrusor muscle and then pass underneath the bladder mucosa before emptying into the bladder.

Another name for the bladder neck muscle is internal sphincter.  Its natural tone keeps the bladder neck and posterior urethra empty of urine and therefore prevents emptying of the bladder until the pressure in the body of the bladder rises above a critical threshold.

Beyond the posterior urethra, the urethra passes through the urogenital diaphragm, which contains a layer of muscle called the external sphincter of the bladder.  This muscle is a voluntary skeletal muscle,  in contrast to the muscle of the bladder body and bladder neck, which is entirely smooth muscle.  This external muscle is under voluntary control of the nervous system and can be used to prevent urination,  even when the involuntary controls are attempting to empty the bladder.

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What is Incontinence?

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Around 6 million people in the UK are estimated to suffer from incontinence. Of the overall population aged 60, it may surprise you to know that 35% are likely to be incontinent. If you think that this condition only affects the elderly, then think again. Do you know that among the 15-65 age group, 25% of woman and 5 % of men have incontinence? You are not alone. The good news is that there are solutions to this problem.

Incontinence – is defined as the unplanned and uncontrolled passage of waste material due to the loss of normal control of bladder or bowels.  There are two major categories of incontinence; namely, faecal incontinence and urinary incontinence.

Faecal Incontinence – is the uncontrolled passing of faeces/gas (air),  probably due to weakened sphincter musculature. Unlike normal defecation, in which a person is aware of passing a bowel movement, in faecal incontinence, there is the loss of the ability to control this passage. Faecal incontinence ranges from occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control.

Urinary Incontinence - is the involuntary leakage of urine.  Urinary incontinence can range from occasional leakage to complete inability to hold urine related to loss of bladder control.  It can be as mild as slight dribbling or occasional leakage when you sneeze or cough; or it could be so strong that you will not be able to get to the toilet in time, losing the entire contents of the bladder.

Incontinence is one of the most expensive conditions to maintain, both in the form of health care system dollars and bladder control products. More than 50% of admissions to nursing facilities are related to incontinence. One of the leading causes of admission to assisted-living facilities are injuries related to incontinence.

Because incontinence can cause distress in the form of embarrassment, loneliness, and isolation, it is important to find ways to deal with it. The problem will not go away if ignored. Make an appointment with your doctor now to discuss treatments that can help you improve the quality of your life.

We at DryForLife understand the sensitive nature of your condition and would like to assure you of our careful attention to ensuring that your inquiries are dealt with in a discreet and confidential manner. You can email us or call our Discreet Advice Helpline on FREE PHONE 0800 180 4325 to find out more about incontinence products available to help you cope on a day-to-day basis..

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Hello and Welcome to the DryForLife
Incontinence Resource

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Your day to day guide to living and coping with incontinence.

If you are reading this post, chances are that you are one of the estimated 6 million people in the UK who suffer from incontinence, or perhaps you are searching for help on behalf of a loved one. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Incontinence is an embarrassing problem that we often keep to ourselves, believing that no one else knows how it feels to suffer from the loss of bladder or bowel control. For some people, this can lead to avoidance of social activities that were once enjoyed; for others, to depression and isolation.

At DryForLife, we understand the importance of discretion. We also understand this condition and how important it is to feel in control of this aspect of your life. Our objective is to provide our clients with quality products, information and solutions to help you cope with incontinence.

Join us as we explore this condition,  striving to keep you up-to-date on the latest information and breakthroughs,  as well as providing you with good, basic information.  For more information, you can email or call our Discreet Advice Helpline or Freephone 0800 180 4325 to find out more about incontinence products available to help you cope on a day-to-day basis.

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