“Uh-oh! I wet my bed”

“Uh-oh! I wet my bed” may be a common thing to hear in households with young children. But at what point do nights of wet sheets become too many, and how can you tell if your child’s bedwetting problem is a normal part of growing up or a medical problem they may need some help with?

In toilet-trained children who have full bladder control, the bladder retains less urine during sleeping hours so that the child can sleep through the night without wetting the bed. But in some children, their bodies have not matured and their urine production does not slow down at night, causing their bladder to overfill - and that’s why they wet the bed.

Bedwetting is common and normal in children under the age of 5. But by the time children reach 5 or 6 years of age, bedwetting is something they should have outgrown - and if they haven’t, it’s no longer just considered an annoying part of growing up. It’s considered a medical problem. About 15-20% of 5-year-olds are affected by bedwetting.

Bedwetting is a common problem, but it’s still a medical condition that your child and your family shouldn’t have to put up with. And it’s a problem that is twice as common in boys as in girls.

But what’s considered normal, and what merits treatment? Wet sheets may just be something you have to put up with as the result of an occasional accident, but if your child wets the bed more than twice per month, it’s considered a problem.

As well, if your child starts to wet the bed after a long period of dry nights or if they experience painful or pink urination, unusual thirst, or snoring, it could be a sign of a medical problem that goes beyond bedwetting.

Although bedwetting itself is a medical problem, most children who wet the bed are otherwise healthy. But if your child wets the bed after age 5 or 6, you should always talk to their doctor.

The doctor can rule out any additional, possibly serious, medical causes that are contributing to the problem, as well as work with you to help you decide what tools you will choose to reduce the impact of bedwetting on your child’s - and your whole family’s - life.

Bedwetting’s toll on your child

Bedwetting is a medical problem beyond your child’s physical control, and it can take a huge emotional toll. Imagine how you would feel if you had a problem you couldn’t control that caused you to do something embarrassing on a regular basis. Over time, this problem would likely make you feel ashamed and out of control - much the way a bedwetter does.

Childhood is supposed to be a carefree, happy-go-lucky time. And as a parent, you want your children to feel good about themselves and to believe they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. But being a bedwetter can make childhood less than perfect.

One study indicates that bedwetters rate this problem as extremely important in their lives. Only parental fights and divorce were rated higher in terms of significance to a bedwetting child.

Whether or not your child understands why they wet the bed, it’s a problem that they are likely ashamed of. After all, to hear their peers and siblings talk, wetting the bed is something babies do. And that is not a positive message for your child’s self confidence.

Because bedwetting is so often accompanied by emotional problems such as low self-esteem or acting out, many mistakenly believe that these psychological problems are the cause of bedwetting, rather than the result.

Over time, the feelings of shame and embarrassment from bedwetting can result in a slew of problems that affect how your child feels about themself, how they interact with their peers, and even how they perform in school.

For example, psychologists who have examined children with chronic bedwetting problems have found that these children rate themselves as being less competent in school and sports, less physically attractive, and less accepted socially. These effects may get worse the older the bedwetting child is. Children who wet the bed have also been shown to be more likely to have behaviour problems, such as aggressive behaviour and attention problems.

Trying to keep this embarrassment a secret may also mean missing out on some childhood rites of passage - things like sleep-over parties and overnight stays at a camp or even having friends over (to avoid being given away by the telltale odour in their bedroom), again making your child feel “different” from everyone else and reducing their opportunities to bond with their peers. Combined, these factors can isolate your child from their peers and put them at risk for bullying and teasing.

Having to deal with the constant fear of being discovered as a bedwetter is a great burden for any child. They feel they are different from their friends; they are the only one who wets the bed. A wish many bedwetters have is to wake up with a dry bed in the morning and not have to wear a diaper to do so.

In order to deal with all the pressures that come with bedwetting, many children try to cope with the problem in their own way. One way is to pretend that bedwetting does not bother them.

So when asked, many bedwetters will tell their parents and doctor that bedwetting does not bother them. It is not until the child feels comfortable with the question and can trust that no harm will come to them will they start to discuss their bedwetting problems and fears.

And then there’s the toll from lost sleep. Children need sleep for their bodies to develop properly, to learn effectively, and to stay healthy. In studies where elementary-school-aged children had the number of hours they slept reduced, their teachers reported more learning problems, including difficulties remembering older material, learning new lessons, and completing their work.

When you consider the amount of time it takes to clean up from bedwetting - from changing the sheets and putting on new pajamas to calming an upset child - it’s more than likely bedwetting is keeping your child from getting the zzz’s they need.

So the question is, if your child wets the bed, how do you minimize the impact?

The first step is making them understand that it’s not their fault - and making them aware that you know it’s not their fault. You can do this by explaining what causes bedwetting and by telling your child about your experiences if you were a bedwetter too. They need your support and positive reinforcement.

Punishing or reprimanding a child for wetting the bed can only make your child’s feelings of shame worse. Because your child probably only gets punished in other situations when they intentionally break the rules, this can reinforce the message that your child is doing something wrong.

But studies have shown that just the act of treating bedwetting - regardless of the outcome - can improve your child’s feelings about themself as well as their behaviour. Your child’s doctor can help you to find a treatment in order to prevent the physical problem of bedwetting from becoming an emotional one as well.

Psychological issues, chest pain or cardiac neurosis

Dr. R. A. R. Perera,

Consultant Clinical Psychologist,

Chest pain on cardiac neurosis is characterised by anxiety, which is severe enough to make most people fear they will die suddenly from a heart attack. They complain of pain in the left side of the chest, breathlessness, palpitations, tiredness, dizziness, and rarely fainting attacks. 10-15% of all patients referred to cardiac department for chest pain is due to cardiac neurosis. It occurs more often in women than in men (3:2). There is usually a family history of anxiety prone parents or children.

Childhood neurotic characteristics, such as fears of the dark, animals, heights, nail biting, stammering, nightmares and sleepwalking are common in these people. They have shy, introspective and dependent personalities. They usually tend to be neat, tidy and highly conscientious as adults.

Most of us are familiar with the uncomfortable thudding of our hearts during moments of fear, and have witnessed a fainting attack provoked by the sight of something causing extreme apprehension.

The defence reaction, which happens during an emergency or with a traumatic event, has behavioral and cardiovascular components, appear to be triggered with relative ease in certain people. The person has an anxious facies and the pupils may be dilated. He often looks pale and sits on the edge of the chair and clearly cannot relax. He may grip the arms with his hands or fidget with a handkerchief or a ring.

The voice may be tremulous and the person frequently clears the throat. He will have cold clammy hands and he looks drightened and may be near to tears. They often complain of sleep disturbance and do not feel refreshed in the morning. These people feel tired and listless and are worn out by minimal effort. Headache is common, usually vague or throbbing.

During a typical ‘attack’ the blood pressure is usually increased and there might be palpitation and loud heart sounds. He may complain left sided chest pain, which might radiate along the left arm. Breathlessness may occur in circumstances that would not affect a normal person. Dizziness or momentary faintness accompanied by ‘light headedness’ may occur. Sweating of the palms and tremors of the fingers is very common.

In these people there will be decreased sexual activity due to impotence and with the fear that sexual activity could precipitate a heart attack. Alcohol, which reduces anxiety and temporary restores confidence, tends to be abused. References to death or disease in newspapers or on television cause a further deterioration in confidence.

The diagnosis of a cardiac neurosis is made on positive psychological grounds, and not merely by exclusion. A physical examination followed by investigations such as a chest x-ray, ECG, and blood tests are necessary to allay the patient’s fears of heart disease and to give the doctor confidence that there is not an underlying physical disorder.

It is not uncommon to have an anxiety state with thyroid disease, heart disease, or to find that following a heart attack the patient is preoccupied by his heart and may impose unnecessary physical restriction upon him.

Unconditional reassurance will be possible if the examination and investigations have been through. Most patients need to be told that the mind controls the heart, breathing an sweating, and can produce chest pain, shaking of the body or even fainting.

Medications, which will reduce anxiety and depression, are useful in acute conditions. Relaxation training, meditation and exercises are valuable non-pharmaceutical methods.

Alcohol abuse and excessive use of caffeine (coffee) should be looked in to, in the management.

Routine medical examination will help to reassure the patient that his symptoms are being taken seriously, and that his doctor thoroughly understands his case.

The final out-come is good provided the condition is recognized early and the correct treatment is instituted. An expression of empathy, genuineness and warmth from the doctor and the family can be the most powerful tranquillizer.

Best skin care tips for men

To many, many men skin care is the last priority on their list. Shaving their face would be the closet thing to skin care that they would come too, however times have changed and there are many men that are taking the steps to better skin care and showing their skin just a little bit more love and care. Here in this article I will go over the basic skin care tips for men.

Taking care of your skin is important and many men have realized that the skin is the outer most layer to protecting their look for the future as well as the largest defense organ against outside bacteria and sickness.

As people age our skin tends to lose the elasticity and wrinkles and fine line began to appear. Skin care for men does not take out hours from the day but just a few minutes each day. A simple antibacterial skin soap and cleanser. Just wash you face with warm water and rinse dry with cold water.

This is to close the pores after washing.

The daily weather can also pose harm to a mans skin and all mean should before when going out into the earths elements should be wearing at least an SPF 15 protective sunscreen before stepping outside. This can help with preventing wrinkles in the future as well as help the fight against the potential skin cancer as well.

Eating right will also do wonders for your skin. Some things that you should and need to stay away from would be foods that are high in saturated fats things such as fried food, French fries, chips and other foods with a lot of processed ingredients. By staying away from these foods you can reduce the level of toxins that can build up your pores that can cause breakouts.

One of the best ways a many can help his skin as well in the consumption of water drinking water not only helps your body rejuvenate but it also helps to keep the skins surface hydrated and moisturized which is highly important when it comes to skin care.

You should just know that a man’s skin care is just as important as any one else’s and have to be treated with the up do most respect and following through with a daily skin care plan is vital to much success with you and all of your skin care needs.