Almost all parents face the problem of childhood enuresis. Someone immediately panics, others are very indifferent, waiting for the child to outgrow. But few people know that a relaxed bladder in a child who is over the age of five is a sign of the disease.
Definition of enuresis
Enuresis is an involuntary urination during a child's sleep, which does not depend on the time of day and the desire of the child. Sometimes, along with enuresis, children note violations of sleep hygiene and improper motor activity.
Why does the bladder fail
Usually at the age of 3 years, the child is able to direct the entire process of urination. Even in a sleeping state, the body feels the fullness of the bladder, sending signals to the brain area to wake up.
But external environmental factors can negatively affect the natural development of a child's body. There can be many reasons: wrongupbringing, mental trauma, experienced stress, a state of strong responsibility, and so on. They can inhibit physiological functions, causing bouts of enuresis. The psychosomatics of enuresis in children (treatment, the causes are discussed in the article) is a reflection of psychological problems through the symptoms of the body.
Child's attitude to his problem
As a rule, children are embarrassed by their nightly missteps and try to hide them to the last. In families with a more strict upbringing, the child may fear punishment for wet sheets, increasing the already high chance of a repeat of the situation. For a student, this is generally a tragedy that can make him a target for ridicule from parents and peers.
Therefore, the moral component depends on the attitude of parents to this problem. If they swoop down on the child, scolding and trying to shame that such a big boy (or girl) accidentally wet the bed, it can only make the situation worse. To confirm the psychosomatics of nocturnal enuresis, it is enough to observe the child a little when he sleeps: he shudders, mutters, talks in his sleep, moves violently and often.
As a rule, even after wetting, the child does not feel it, continuing to sleep on a wet bed. If he regularly experiences disturbing situations, he may wet himself several times during one night. Along with this, the child begins to complain of headaches, lack of strength and general malaise. An examination of the body will reveal the presence of a neurogenic bladder.
OpinionKomarovsky E. O
The well-known pediatrician Komarovsky E. O. has his own opinion about the psychosomatics of childhood enuresis and the treatment of the causes of this phenomenon. He believes that periodic enuresis is not the result of serious disturbances in the functioning of the body, so proper therapy will quickly get rid of the disturbing deviation.
An important role in the treatment of the child belongs to his parents. The balanced work of all body systems depends on the central nervous system, which connects them with the brain, conducting or blocking the appropriate impulses. Therefore, enuresis is not so much a physiological problem as it is almost entirely a psychological problem. The attitude of the closest people to a child's problem can either speed up or slow down the healing process.
Provoking factors can be family problems: quarrels, divorce of spouses, the appearance of a brother or sister, children's fears. Therefore, along with treatment, parents are advised to create the most favorable environment in the family, reducing the level of children's experiences.
Types of enuresis
Emotionally sensitive children tend to develop enuresis. This category also includes children with a traumatized psyche, who at the time of the age crisis (from 3 to 7 years old) experienced severe stress or regular neurosis.
Usually, they can only urinate at night, but this does not happen regularly. Their sleep is superficial, with frequent nightmares. Waking up and discovering such a nuisance, the child worries and withdraws into himself, fearingridicule. But a favorable family environment gradually eliminates such a problem.
Sometimes the psychosomatics of childhood enuresis lies in too strict upbringing. One random episode, provoked by reasons beyond the child's control, becomes the object of excessive attention of parents who scream, beat or punish the offender. He gets hung up on this, starting to replay the situation over and over again in his sleep, causing a recurrence of reactive enuresis.
Beautiful girls, prone to excessive emotionality, are sometimes prone to hysteroid enuresis. It represents a subconscious protest of a restless female personality against disturbing factors in the family and parental upbringing.
Why the development of the disease begins
In newborn babies, the psychosomatics of nocturnal enuresis, characteristic of older children, is not yet observed. Their nerve endings are at the beginning of their development, so they do not know how to control the corresponding muscles. For them, frequent urination is quite a common phenomenon that can occur almost dozens of times in one day. The child matures and his nerves develop with him, teaching the young body to recognize the desire to use the potty.
The reflex is finally fixed by the age of 4, but under the influence of physiological characteristics or personal characteristics, it can settle down a little earlier or later, before the fifth birthday. When this does not happen at 6, 7 and beyond on the age scale, then it is necessary to sound the alarm. Among the causes of enuresis in childrencan be found:
- manifestation of allergy;
- mother's difficult pregnancy or a problem during childbirth. One of these factors provoked a lack of air, which damaged the children's nervous system;
- childhood diabetes of varying severity;
- genetic predisposition. Occurs if one of the parents was prone to periodic manifestations of enuresis;
- a disease hidden in the area of the brain or back;
- urinary tract infection or other urological pathology;
- small bladder capacity;
- Experienced stress, mental trauma or general unfavorable environment.
The psychological problem of enuresis cannot be underestimated. The child's nervous system is still unstable, so any family problem can turn into periodic illnesses for him.
In some cases, enuresis is caused by several simultaneous causes. For example, today he was provoked by excessively sound sleep, tomorrow - a lot of liquid or cold food taken at night, which caused hypothermia of the child's body. Any manifestations of enuresis require a careful approach in order to find out the true causes of the pathological phenomenon.
What doctors will need help
Surely, it is worth starting with a visit to the pediatrician. It is he who will determine the exact number of highly specialized specialists needed in a particular case. Their consultations will give a more complete picture of the existing pathology.
May be required:
- consultationurologist. If necessary, he will prescribe an ultrasound examination of the kidneys, bladder, send urine for a general analysis and, according to the results, prescribe the appropriate treatment;
- examination by a neurologist. He will send the patient for electroencephalography, which will give a complete picture of the state of the central nervous system and reveal the presence of pathologies;
- conversation with a psychologist. The specialist will have a confidential conversation with the child, find out all the stresses he has experienced, his environment, and recommend to his relatives how to help his child.
Medicated treatment
As strange as it may sound, there is as yet no specific cure for enuresis. The psychosomatics of enuresis in children is actively studied by experts. Liz Burbo, E. O. Komarovsky and other experts advise to approach the issues of each child individually.
After all consultations and medical diagnostics, which determine the general condition of the bladder and the level of hormones responsible for regulating the fluid in it, some of the most popular drugs can be prescribed:
- "Minirin" consists of hormones responsible for controlling urine in the bladder. Produced in the form of nasal drops, which are instilled before going to bed.
- "Driptan" reduces the tone of the bladder.
- "Nootropil", vitamins of group B, "Persen" are prescribed in the case when enuresis is caused by frequent neuroses.
- Set "Minirin" with"Prozerin" increases the muscle tone of the bladder.
Alternative medicines
After all medical research and identification of the causes of enuresis in children, the psychosomatics of which is often due to the state of the inner world, the doctor prescribes the appropriate medications, strictly recommending that all instructions be followed. If the available results do not lead the doctor to think about how to help the child, then the patient will be referred to a homeopath who uses the following:
- Sepia helps with urinary incontinence while the baby is awake.
- Pulsatilla eliminates enuresis resulting from an infectious disease.
- Medicines containing Phosphorus help children who need plenty of water.
- Gelzemium - if the cause of enuresis is experienced stress, it will help increase the tone of the bladder.
Therapy without drugs
When the cause of enuresis lies in psychosomatics, then even all the drugs will not have a long-awaited effect. In this case, procedures that stabilize the bladder can help:
- Introduce day mode. Such a banal habit will regulate the work of internal organs, accustoming to a kind of discipline (eating by the hour, walking at a specific time, daytime sleep, going to bed at certain periods). Gradually enuresis disappears.
- Sports bladder training. With the help of an adult, a child can learn to control the corresponding muscles, which will favorably affect the recovery fromenuresis.
- Psychological help. The specialist will teach the child self-hypnosis. With the help of such exercises, the connection between the nerves and muscles surrounding the bladder is gradually restored. If enuresis is complicated by neurosis, the psychologist will work on childhood depression and talk with parents who are required to create a favorable environment in the family.
- Physiotherapy - electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, acupuncture, circular douche and appropriate gymnastics have a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and central nervous system.
- Enter motivation. This is one of the psychological techniques aimed at children prone to enuresis. It is resorted to when other methods have not helped. In general terms, this is a method of carrot and stick, that is, during a dry night, the child receives encouragement, which he immediately loses at the moment of the next urination in bed. The method of encouragement is chosen by the parents. As practice shows, this method will work on 70% of children.
Help of traditional medicine
Traditional medicine can be a great help in the treatment of enuresis in children. Psychosomatics (reasons of a psychological nature) of this disease are caused by feelings, fear and stress. The provocative factors are gradually receding under the influence of the natural power of healing herbs, on the basis of which many recipes have been created:
- 1 tablespoon of dill brew in 250 ml of fresh boiling water. Insist for 60 minutes. Take at least 125 ml of drink every morning on an empty stomach.
- Cook freshlingonberry compote, but in the process of cooking, add 2 tablespoons of wild rose. Insist and give the child a drink several times a day.
- Herbal collection (blackberry, knotweed, St. John's wort, yarrow in equal proportions) chop as finely as possible. Brew 10 grams of powder in 300 ml of fresh boiling water and insist for 120 minutes. Take on an empty stomach no more than 5 times per knock.
- Make a similar herbal mixture: mint, chamomile, St. John's wort, birch. 50 grams of powder is brewed in a liter of fresh boiling water and infused for 40 minutes. It is recommended to add honey to taste. You can drink 100 ml at a time. Take before meals for 3 months followed by a break of 14 days. After it, the course can be repeated.
- 2 tablespoons of wild rose brew in a liter of fresh boiling water and leave for 60 minutes. Drink throughout the day instead of tea.
- Bring berries and lingonberry leaves to a boil in 500 ml of water. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes, strain and drink as desired.
- 30 grams of powder, consisting of dried plantain leaves, is brewed in 350 ml of fresh boiling water and infused for 60 minutes. At one time, you can take no more than 10 ml of the drink. The number of receptions - 4 times a day.
