Bedwetting (Enuresis) (Nocturnal enuresis)

This is a common and heart-wrenching problem for all concerned as I have had all too many opportunities in practice to observe. It mostly seems to affect boys so I will direct my comments in that way.

As is usually the case when we don’t really know why this affects some children and not others there are many theories as to why it happens; some physical, some psychological.

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One thing is obvious and that is that this is a problem that quickly becomes worsened by the tension and anxiety that it creates in a child. The older they get the worse they feel about it.

For that reason the first thing I do in my practice is to ask everyone to drop the term bedwetting (with all its associated shame and embarrassment) and instead use the medical term enuresis. By the time we have talked it over for a while the parent or parents seem to get the hang of the new word and seem to get the point that the stigma involved in this is going to be part of the problem rather than the solution.

A few things to consider that may or may not have been looked at. 

  1. Is his foreskin too tight? You may need to help a little boy to retract his foreskin to urinate a few times until he gets the hang of doing this himself and can easily fully empty his bladder.
  2. Does he have any health problems that suggest he may have food allergy or intolerance (such as eczema or asthma), because I and others have seen how this can definitely lead to an increase in enuresis; in this case especially consider the potential of trying a dairy free diet to see if that improves matters.
  3. Does he have trouble holding on to his urine during the day as well and needs to go to the toilet quite a bit more frequently than other children his age? If so then consider the possibility that he may have a low grade bladder irritation from a chronic infection or from some physical pressure on the nerves that supply his bladder from his spine. A practitioner skilled in holistic medicine should help you to explore this further if it seems to be relevant.

You may have already tried the strategies of waking him up to go to the toilet after he has been asleep for a couple of hours and also making sure he has very little fluid before bed. These strategies seem like practical ideas to me and perhaps they do help many children but the parents I tend to meet are ones that have not found them to be work reliably. Likewise the bed 'under-blankets' that sound an alarm when they get wet presumably must work for some but do not seem to be well rated by the people I meet who have tried them.

There is a strong history of using herbs to help with enuresis, particularly those herbs that disinfect and strengthen the bladder. I have had some success and some failure with this kind of approach but would still certainly think it worthwhile to at least try. You probably need to find a good herbalist to do this properly, but the kinds of herbs I am talking about here are things like Uva Ursi, Corn Silk, Raspberry leaves, Marshmallow root and Shepherd’s purse. You can read my thoughts on how to use those herbs if you are of the nature to try things out for yourself. 

Enuresis is a really depressing problem for everyone; whatever you do to help you are going to want it to work brilliantly, and immediately. This is completely understandable and it is also the number one reason why treatments fail. In many cases one approach or another does make some difference but it is only incremental, there are still accidents albeit they may only be happening a little less often at first. This is the sign that you are on the right track but many people give up at this stage and think they should try something different or just stop trying for a while.

I have seen enough cases of enuresis that actually do get better to know that the key difference is not the child or the treatment, it is the parents, how willing they are to be patient despite how frustrated they naturally feel. How well they can see what is actually helping and then to not give it up just because he is still having some accidents. Also to be prepared to try more than one approach at the same time especially if you are working with a health professional and that is what they are advising.

This is never a problem that should be put in the too hard basket. Let’s face it, every child will eventually grow out of it one day, but there is much that can be done to bring that day closer.

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