BED WETTING - HOME REMEDIES
Bed-wetting or sleep wetting refers to involuntary passage of urine in sleep, which is usually at night and then is termed as 'nocturnal enuresis'. This is a common problem in children upto the age of five years, but it can occur in children upto the age of fifteen years or more. Women may become incontinent after hysterectomy or after numerous pregnancies (due to the weakened pelvic muscles). An enlarged prostate is often responsible for enuresis in the males. Bedwetting in a child occurs either because of genetic inheritance or because the nervous system is not yet mature enough to control the bladder; but the usual causes of bedwetting in a child is some kind of fear, stress, anxiety or some other emotional or psychological disturbances. About 5-10% of the cases can result from some pathology like childhood diabetes, paralysis of the spine, epilepsy, urinary tract infections, threadworms, etc. Treating the cause of the enuresis is of utmost importance to stop the habit completely.
Reduce the amount of fluid just before the child goes to bed. Make the child urinate before he goes off to sleep and also wake him up in the middle of the night to urinate. Do not punish the child or be too overanxious about the problem. Whipping the child or punishing him is no solution to the problem. He should not be humiliated in front of other family members since that will only increase the problem. The child doesn't do it in purpose and has often no control over this problem. He should be shown affection and an atmosphere of friendship should be created amongst his brothers and sisters. The child should be talked to and taken for a walk by the parents every evening to help him overcome any fear if present and make him feel more secure and loved. In cases of bed wetting in elderly children, make them learn exercises and gymnastics to make their will stronger and to make them exercise better control over their bladder.
HOME REMEDIES
1. The children should not be given food that can increase the quantity of urine, especially in the night; like asparagus, celery, cucumbers, watermelons, etc. Also avoid giving chocolates, tea, coffee, milk, soft drinks and spicy or sour food.
2. Give a small piece of jaggery or jaggery laddoos at bedtime to the child who bed wets.
3. Give a tablespoonful of pure, raw honey at bedtime regularly for a month.
4. Chewing cinnamon (tuj) sticks just before retiring is thought to have an astringent effect on the urinary system and thus prevents any bedwetting.
5. Make a powder from one tablespoonful of black sesame seeds (til) and one teaspoonful of aniseeds (saunf) and mix it with two tablespoonfuls of jaggery and give it to the child twice daily. This helps to strengthen the bladder.
6. Make the child swallow half teaspoonful of gingelly with quarter teaspoonful of ajwain with a little water.
7. Give two walnuts (akhrot) and a few raisins daily to the child.
