Enuresis is the medical term for what is commonly known as bedwetting. It is quite common during childhood, and happens more in boys than girls, since the development of the sphincters takes a little longer in boys.
Enuresis in children is not a serious condition, but the reality is that it is a major problem for affected children, who may feel ashamed or helpless, as well as teased or bullied by their peers.
Therefore, enuresis can cause psychological problems or traumas in children. Also, it can increase the risk of infections in the genital area if a child usually wets the bed.
The symptom of enuresis is that a child is unable to control their sphincter properly, and they may wet themselves both during the day and more often, at night while sleeping.
In children's bedwetting, bedwetting is not caused only by drinking too many liquids before going to sleep, nor by a mental or behavioral problem, but it has other causes:
In other cases, childhood nocturnal enuresis may happen because the child's bladder is still too small; also because the amount of urine produced at night is bigger than what your bladder can hold, or simply because you need more time to learn how to control this organ.
It is not possible to prevent this phenomenon before it happens, or to guess when exactly it will occur, but there are some risk factors that can develop an enuresis, such as stress, anxiety, or ADHD that is not treated properly.
Regarding the treatment, the first step is to visit a specialist in paediatric urology to rule out any physiological causes and other problems. The specialist will recommend to attend behaviour therapies to correct enuresis, and it may be necessary to go to a specialist in child psychology if the child is suffering from stress or anxiety that causes enuresis in children.
Therefore, medications that help the bladder retain more urine are usually used only when previous behavioural therapy has not worked.
The first specialist to visit in a case of enuresis in children will be the paediatrician or the paediatric urologist, to rule out any physiological causes of the problem. In this case, you should consult a child psychologist to get a diagnosis and therapy for each particular case.
Urinary tract infections are common in children but not usually serious. Typical symptoms include frequent and painful urination (sometimes cloudy in appearance or containing blood), a change in toilet habits (such as wetting the bed or deliberately holding in urine), abdominal pain and vomiting. They are generally caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics.
Urinary incontinence is the inability to control the bladder, which means that you can not always hold urine. It can affect anyone, but is most common in people over 50 years. Most control problems occur because the muscles that keep the bladder are too weak or too active. If they are weak, small amounts of urine to perform actions such as laughing or coughing are lost, which is known as stress incontinence. On the contrary, if they are too active, you can have an urgent need to go to the bathroom while having little urine in the bladder (urge incontinence or overactive bladder). Other causes include prostate problems and neurological damage. The treatment of urinary incontinence depends on the cause and type, but in general usually includes simple exercises, medicines and special devices. Surgery may be helpful at times.
Hydronephrosis is the appearance of water in the kidney, and is most commonly found during an pregnancy ultrasound scan. It is a condition that most commonly affects women during pregnancy, and can be caused by increased foetal urine output, a kidney blockage, a bladder blockage, or a backflow of urine into the kidney. Treatment usually by prescribed antiobiotics, but may require surgery in some cases.
Vasicoureteral reflux (VUR), also known as vasicoureteric reflux, or kidney reflux is a condition where the urine flows backwards from the bladder to the kidneys. This can cause bacteria present in the urine to travel to the kidneys, causing kidney infection. In children, it can be caused by a birth defect where the ureters (the valves in the urethra) don’t develop correctly. Treatment involves antibiotics to treat infections, as the defect usually corrects itself by five years of age, however, surgery may be required in some cases.
Abdominal pain can be a symptom of many conditions. It is the name given to pain that radiates between the chest and the groin. The most common cause is: constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies or intolerances, or food poisoning. There are different types of abdominal pain, including:
Condition prognosis depends of the cause of the abdominal pain. The causes may range from simple issues such as excess gas to more complicated conditions such as appendicitis or kidney stones. When a person has abdominal pain, the cause of it must be looked at thoroughly to be able to properly treat it. There are some symptoms which may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as:
Different symptoms may indicate what is causing the abdominal pain. It may simply be due to indigestion, however when the pain is strong, it may be due to a more serious issue with the appendix, the gallbladder, the pancreas, or the kidneys among others.
Different tests can be carried out to determine the cause of abdominal pain:
There could be many causes for abdominal pain, it is important to find the cause and seek medical attention as soon as possible. The most common causes for abdominal pain include:
Abdominal pain can be prevented by following a healthy and balanced diet, and eating small meals often. This will help digestion. It is also important to maintain a healthy weight and to exercise regularly. Stress in known as a cause of cramps and nausea.
Treatment will depend on the cause and location of the pain. The specialist will recommend what treatment should be used after careful examination. Treatment to treat mild causes include:
Generally, the specialist who treats abdominal pain is a gastroenterologist. Digestive system specialists study the digestive tract including the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus, as well as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. This specialty treats common issues and pathological issues. It treat conditions that may affect other parts of the body and other organs.
Anaemia is a low count of red blood cells in the blood. It is not a disease itself, but it is a symptom that can be caused by lack of iron or loss of blood due to excessive bleeding, among other factors.
Asthma (or bronchial asthma) is a lung disease caused by narrowing of the bronchi, which causes breathing difficulties. It is characterised by the presence of breathlessness, cough, chest tightness, and sometimes excess phlegm. It can be related to allergies, with related rhinitis and sneezing. Asthma can affect all ages, but usually begins in childhood as a reaction to certain stimuli that produce allergy (pollen, dust mites, skin particles of some pets, cold air, some foods or food additives). Other agents can also trigger occupational asthma in some trades or professions (bakers, farmers, millers, manufacturers of detergents, carpenters, plastic manufacturers, laboratory workers, etc.). People with asthma may need further investigations with blood tests, chest X-ray and allergy tests.
Enuresis is the medical term for what is commonly known as bedwetting. It is quite common during childhood, and happens more in boys than girls, since the development of the sphincters takes a little longer in boys.
Enuresis in children is not a serious condition, but the reality is that it is a major problem for affected children, who may feel ashamed or helpless, as well as teased or bullied by their peers.
Therefore, enuresis can cause psychological problems or traumas in children. Also, it can increase the risk of infections in the genital area if a child usually wets the bed.
The symptom of enuresis is that a child is unable to control their sphincter properly, and they may wet themselves both during the day and more often, at night while sleeping.
In children's bedwetting, bedwetting is not caused only by drinking too many liquids before going to sleep, nor by a mental or behavioral problem, but it has other causes:
In other cases, childhood nocturnal enuresis may happen because the child's bladder is still too small; also because the amount of urine produced at night is bigger than what your bladder can hold, or simply because you need more time to learn how to control this organ.
It is not possible to prevent this phenomenon before it happens, or to guess when exactly it will occur, but there are some risk factors that can develop an enuresis, such as stress, anxiety, or ADHD that is not treated properly.
Regarding the treatment, the first step is to visit a specialist in paediatric urology to rule out any physiological causes and other problems. The specialist will recommend to attend behaviour therapies to correct enuresis, and it may be necessary to go to a specialist in child psychology if the child is suffering from stress or anxiety that causes enuresis in children.
Therefore, medications that help the bladder retain more urine are usually used only when previous behavioural therapy has not worked.
The first specialist to visit in a case of enuresis in children will be the paediatrician or the paediatric urologist, to rule out any physiological causes of the problem. In this case, you should consult a child psychologist to get a diagnosis and therapy for each particular case.
Gastroesophageal reflux is a digestive disorder where acid from the stomach leaks back into the oesophagus. It usually occurs because of weakness in the lower oesophageal sphincter, the ring of muscle between the oesophagus and stomach. It also occurs regularly in healthy people, where it manifests as heartburn or acid indigestion but these are usually short, sporadic episodes compared to long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Hydronephrosis is the appearance of water in the kidney, and is most commonly found during an pregnancy ultrasound scan. It is a condition that most commonly affects women during pregnancy, and can be caused by increased foetal urine output, a kidney blockage, a bladder blockage, or a backflow of urine into the kidney. Treatment usually by prescribed antiobiotics, but may require surgery in some cases.
Urinary incontinence is the inability to control the bladder, which means that you can not always hold urine. It can affect anyone, but is most common in people over 50 years. Most control problems occur because the muscles that keep the bladder are too weak or too active. If they are weak, small amounts of urine to perform actions such as laughing or coughing are lost, which is known as stress incontinence. On the contrary, if they are too active, you can have an urgent need to go to the bathroom while having little urine in the bladder (urge incontinence or overactive bladder). Other causes include prostate problems and neurological damage. The treatment of urinary incontinence depends on the cause and type, but in general usually includes simple exercises, medicines and special devices. Surgery may be helpful at times.
Urinary tract infections are common in children but not usually serious. Typical symptoms include frequent and painful urination (sometimes cloudy in appearance or containing blood), a change in toilet habits (such as wetting the bed or deliberately holding in urine), abdominal pain and vomiting. They are generally caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics.
Vasicoureteral reflux (VUR), also known as vasicoureteric reflux, or kidney reflux is a condition where the urine flows backwards from the bladder to the kidneys. This can cause bacteria present in the urine to travel to the kidneys, causing kidney infection. In children, it can be caused by a birth defect where the ureters (the valves in the urethra) don’t develop correctly. Treatment involves antibiotics to treat infections, as the defect usually corrects itself by five years of age, however, surgery may be required in some cases.
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Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a very common illness in children and one that parents need to be aware of. If a UTI is not diagnosed and treated, it can sometimes affect the kidneys. Dr Kishor Tewary, a leading paediatrician, explains to us what the key symptoms of a UTI are in children and infants, and how they can be prevented.
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Most young children wet the bed from time to time. However, if bedwetting continues as the child gets older, should you be worried? Why do children wet the bed? And how can we help our children? Consultant Paediatrician Dr Kishor Tewary is here to explain.
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Why do children get urinary tract infections – and can they be treated? We spoke to Dr Kishor Tewary, an experienced consultant paediatrician with a special interest in urology and nephrology.
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