Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis, refers to the unintentional passage of urine during sleep. Enuresis is the medical term for wetting, whether in the clothing during the day or in bed at night. Another name for enuresis is urinary incontinence. For infants and young children, urination is involuntary. Wetting is normal for them. Most children achieve some degree of bladder control by 4 years of age. Daytime control is usually achieved first, while nighttime control comes later.

The age at which bladder control is expected varies considerably. Some parents expect dryness at a very early age, while others not until much later. Such a time line may reflect the culture and attitudes of the parents and caregivers.

Factors that affect the age at which wetting is considered a problem include the following:

The child's gender: Bedwetting is more common in boys.
The child's development and maturity
The child's overall physical and emotional health. Chronic illness and/or emotional and physical abuse may predispose to bedwetting.
Causes

No one knows for sure what causes bed-wetting, but various factors may play a role:

A small bladder: Your child's bladder may not be developed enough to hold urine produced during the night.
Inability to recognize a full bladder: If the nerves that control the bladder are slow to mature, a full bladder may not wake your child, especially if your child is a deep sleeper.
A hormone imbalance: During childhood, some kids don't produce enough anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) to slow nighttime urine production.
Stress: Stressful events, such as becoming a big brother or sister, starting a new school, or sleeping away from home, may trigger bed-wetting.
Urinary tract infection: This infection can make it difficult for your child to control urination.
Sleep apnea: Sometimes bed-wetting is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the child's breathing is interrupted during sleep.
Diabetes: For a child who's usually dry at night, bed-wetting may be the first sign of diabetes.
A structural problem in the urinary tract or nervous system. Rarely, bed-wetting is related to a defect in the child's neurological system or urinary system.

Symptoms

Wetting during the day
Frequency, urgency, or burning on urination
Straining, dribbling, or other unusual symptoms with urination
Cloudy or pinkish urine, or blood stains on underpants or pajamas
Soiling, being unable to control bowel movements
Constipation
Most kids are fully toilet trained by age 5, but there's really no target date for developing complete bladder control. Between the ages of 5 and 7, bed-wetting remains a problem for some children. After 7 years of age, a small number of children still wet the bed.

When to see a doctor: Most children outgrow bed-wetting on their own, but some need a little help. In other cases, bed-wetting may be a sign of an underlying condition that needs medical attention.

Consult your child's doctor if: 

Your child still wets the bed after age 7
Your child starts to wet the bed after a few months or more of being dry at night
Bed-wetting is accompanied by painful urination, unusual thirst, pink or red urine, hard stools, or snoring
Self-Care at Home-
Here are some tips for helping your child stop wetting the bed. These are techniques that are most often successful

Reduce evening fluid intake.
The child should urinate in the toilet before bedtime.
A system of sticker charts and rewards works for some children.
Make sure the child has safe and easy access to the toilet.
Some believe that you should avoid using diapers or pull-ups at home because they can interfere with the motivation to wake up and use the toilet.

Bedwetting - 7 Possible Reasons Behind It

Upon reaching adolescence, children's bodies undergo several changes and so do their minds. It is then that their minds are most, as well as least impressionable. And the daunting question regarding the upbringing of an adolescent is how to treat their constantly changing behavior?

Here are some of the tantrums adolescents more commonly throw, and what should ideally be your approach to it:

Your child seems to hate you: It is very common for a phase of emotional exclusionism to prevail between 16-17 years of age approximately. And the worst thing you could do is heighten that emotion by returning the hatred. Make sure you're firm against any extremely unacceptable behavior, but at the same time, show them that you're there for them no matter what.
Electronic devices become the center of their attention: Whenever you want to have an earnest conversation with your children, their attention seems to be drawn solely to their phones and computers. They feel the need to be connected to their friends and all times. Ways to monitor that are by setting limit to the maximum hours spent on devices or making them pay their own bills, which will make them more responsible rather than splurging unnecessarily. Also, if your child is not entirely secluded from the family, it is probably best not to interfere all the time.
Ignoring the curfew: Your kids often stay out later than the set limit. But it is quite possible that your curfew is unreasonable when compared to other parents' curfew. Find out what the average time limit is; it may prevent your child from bearing a grudge against you. In case they still fail to respect your curfew, make sure you spill out to them what the consequences can be, like being grounded for a week. However, in certain cases, your child may be spending time doing nothing constructive, but away from home. There may be something else going on, find out what that is.
Being friends with the wrong people: Sometimes it might happen that you think some children do not have a good influence on your child, but you cannot say that directly because adolescents tend to get very defensive about their choice of friends. Unless the adolescent is doing something harmful with the friend, like using drugs, let him exercise his choice. Otherwise, don't hesitate from seeking professional help to counsel your child.
Being over-dramatic: Every emotion is heightened in your child and you cannot tell them that what they are whining or being overjoyed about are trivial, because that's their prime focus then. Let them realize on their own how irrational they sound or else you may risk spoiling your relation with them.

Behavioral Problems in Adolescents

What Causes Eczema? Ways to Prevent Eczema Outbreaks

A skin inflammation, eczema, also known as atopic eczema, refers to the changes that occur in the upper skin layer. These skin changes can be thickened and cracked skin, skin redness, crusting of the affected area and swollen raw skin, among others. The exact cause of this skin condition is not yet known but a mix of factors have been found to be behind this health problem.

CAUSES :

The factors that play a role in causing eczema are:

- Dry skin brings down your skin's ability to fend off irritants as well as allergy causing substances from entering your skin, resulting in an inflammatory condition.

- Genetics is also one of the factors that may affect the proper functioning of your skin as a barrier against harmful substances. Therefore, if either one of the parent or both suffers from the condition, it is very likely that their children too will suffer from it.

- Abnormal functioning of your body's immune system can also lead to this skin condition. This is because it's your body's immune system that fights off infections as well as harmful intruders.

- The presence of the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which brings about sweat buildup, inflames the skin considerably, leading to this condition.

- Even environmental factors like pollen, cigarette smoke lead to the flaring of eczema.

How can you prevent an eczema outbreak?

It is very common for this skin condition to flare-up from time to time. But you can avoid such outbreaks or reduce their severity by following these very simple ways:

- Keep your skin well-moisturized so that it doesn't dry out causing further irritation.

- Sudden changes in temperature can cause the skin condition to break out. So, when the weather is hot, keep yourself cool but during cold weather, use a humidifier to prevent the skin from drying out.

- Keep sweating in check as it can cause an outbreak very easily

- Avoid the use of harsh detergents and soaps, woolen materials as well as the consumption of foods that may lead to flare-ups



What Causes Eczema? Ways to Prevent Eczema Outbreaks

There is always a sense of anxiety, whenever we tend to start off with something new, as people are resistant to change. It is more so in the case of young children. School refusal refers to the refusal of children to attend school as a result of emotional distress. This school refusal can wreak a kind of havoc on families.

Elaborate on symptoms a little more and causes

Symptoms

There are certain symptoms related to the refusal of children to attend schools. They include:

Often it comes in the form of tantrums
Frequent complaints of stomachaches, vomiting, nausea, exhaustion, headaches or diarrhea
There could be loud meltdowns in an overwhelming manner, which include their refusal to leave the house, running down the street to avoid getting inside the car or on the school bus
Children might even become aggressive and lash out at their parents with physical blows
Child feeling fearful of being alone in a room or dark


Causes

Some of the primary causes include:

It arises out of students having a feeling of separation from their parents and homely atmosphere, hence, leading to anxiety
It comes out of an emotional attachment which children tend to have with their parents, especially mothers
Children tend to feel scared with the thought of getting into an unknown atmosphere all of a sudden.
Consistent fear of criticism, ridiculing, confrontation or punishment by the teacher or any other person in the school
Having learning difficulties
Being afraid of qualifying the tests
Not feeling comfortable with school activities like singing, playing or attending school assembly
Fear of being ridiculed due to appearance, clothes, weight, etc.
Fear of being bullied by a class or schoolmate
How Can Children be Helped to Get Rid of this Problem?

The ideal treatment to help all those children struggling with school refusal includes a team approach. It will be beneficial to have a strong team which includes the class teacher, family and if possible, a mental health professionals. The steps include:

1. Assess: The very first step is to complete medical and psychological examination. Given the fact that school refusal is usually linked to an underlying anxiety or depressive disorder, it is necessary to get to the root of the problem and begin there. This would include both family and teacher questionnaires for interviews.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This is a very structured form of therapy, which helps children to identify their maladaptive patterns of thought and also learn replacement behaviours. It would help children to confront and work through their anxiety.

3. Desensitization in a Systematic Manner: Those children who struggle with school refusal, need a graded approach to return to school. They can return for a some increased amount of time and then gradually build upon it.

4. Training for Relaxation: This is extremely essential for all those children who struggle with anxiety. Some of the relaxation strategies include deep breathing, guided imagery and mindfulness, which kids practice at home and also utilize in school.

5. Plan for Re-entry: The treatment team even creates a plan to help children re-enter the classroom. The plan includes contingencies to help the student during anxious moments throughout the day.

6. Routine and Structure: Children who are anxious can even benefit from routines at home that are predictable. Establishing healthy sleeping habits and a regular sleep cycle during holidays and on weekends can yield positive results.

School Refusal - Symptoms, Causes & Treatments Of It!

The festival of Diwali is greeted with great pomp and splendour and along with the regular festivities, the pollution levels in the air also rise due to the ritual of bursting fire crackers. In an analysis, the rise of harmful pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide seemed to reveal a disturbing outcome.

The rise in pollution during Diwali affects you in the following ways:

The PM (particulate matter which is smaller than 2.5mm) enters your lungs and bloodstream and has several health impacts including chronic respiratory symptoms such as painful breathing and shortness of breath which might cause premature death.
High sulphur dioxide levels in the air during Diwali also lead to inflammation of air passages and causes complications in respiration.
A compound called  strontium  found in the atmosphere multiplies by 120 times during the festival and causes bone damage and blood clotting ailments.
Firecrackers contain heavy metals which are toxic to the human body and the amount of magnesium in the air goes up by 22x, which poses a significant threat to all forms of life.
The noise pollution also rises during the festival and in extreme cases, can permanently damage one s hearing.
However, there are a few measures you can undertake to steer clear of the excessive pollutants present in the air:

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors even while exercising. This is because the air remains contaminated, days after all the festivities get over and the pollutants take a very long time to dissipate.
Even on the road, drive with the windows of your car rolled up to avoid intake of adulterated air and use a face mask if you are a two-wheeler rider.
Plant a lot of green plants inside your house as they purify the air you are breathing and ensure a supply of fresh oxygen.
Install an air purifier in the room to make sure you breathe in fresh, uncontaminated oxygen when you sleep. The air purifier will also help in lessening your respiratory complications.
Also, in case you notice any respiratory or breathing problem, it is advisable that you consult a pulmonologist, to rule out serious health issues. 

Diwali - How the Rise in Pollution Level Affects Your Health?

Hearing loss is experienced by millions of people these days. Ageing is not the only factor that brings hearing impairment. The causes are many. Certain medications, continuous exposure to loud noise, genetic involvement, injury and some medical conditions may cause hearing loss.

There are quite a few myths that people have come to believe about hearing loss over the years. Since it is such a common phenomenon, here we take a look at the common myths surrounding hearing loss.

Myth no. 1: Hearing loss is exclusive to elderly.

Fact: As said before, hearing loss can be an outcome of various causes. Nearly half of the people suffering from the same are below the age of 55 years. No matter what your age is, you must always get your ears checked, especially if you are feeling that are you missing things.

Myth no. 2: Diagnosing hearing loss is easy.

Fact: Most people do not come to know about the condition until it gets worse. Also, your physician never really checks for hearing loss symptoms in a general check-up unless you ask for it specifically.

So, always get a check-up done, like you do for other probable diseases.

Myth no. 3: There's no effective solution for hearing loss.

Fact: Like there have been advancements in the medical field for everything else, there are aids available these days that improve your hearing and have finer adjustments for noise adaptation. Also, there are certain other procedures and surgeries that have proved to improve the condition in many.

So, seek help as soon as possible.

Myth no. 4: The sounds aren't loud enough; my ears are healthy and fine.

Fact: If there is a problem you're experiencing with hearing, you have got to accept that and get it treated. Avoiding a certain condition will only get things worse for you.

Also, hearing aids are no more a stigma. Ear aid devices have designs similar to earphones these days, which are comfortable enough to wear. Ignoring a medical condition or inability to accept the same would only do more harm instead of making things fine.


Common Myths About Hearing Loss

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