How to Handle Bed Wetting

Bedwetting Causes Stress

Know that bedwetting is often a normal part of growing up.  most children don’t stay dry at night until about the age of 3.  And it’s usually not a concern for parents until around age 6.  There are ways to work toward dry nights as a family.

A Child Who Wets the Bed Needs Your Support

Reassure your child by being supportive.  He isn’t wetting the bed on purpose.  And bedwetting isn’t typically a sign of an emotional or physical problem.  Explain that it is normal, very common, and that he won’t always wet the bed.

Talk and Share Your Experience

Bedwetting often runs in families.  If you or your partner wet the bed as a child, talk with your child about it.  It’ll help him to see that people do outgrow it.  And it may help him feel less alone and embarrassed.

What Causes Bedwetting?

Many things can lead to bedwetting.  It could be slower development of bladder control or heavy sleep.  Stress and anxiety can be a cause.  A child who’s been dry and suddenly starts wetting the bed may have an infection or a big life change such as move may be bothering her.  Be sure to speak with your doctor if this a new problem.

Let Your Child Help Find Solutions

If she’s  4 or older, ask her for ideas.  What might help her stop wetting the bed?  brainstorm together.  Drinking less in the evening and cutting back on caffeinated drinks may be worth trying.  You can also offer opinions such as absorbent pants or waterproof sheets.  Reassure her that most kids out grow this.  By keeping it positive and involving her, you’ll help build her confidence and encourage good bedtime habits.

Praise and Reward for Staying Dry

Some families mark wet days and dry days on a calendar.  Stickers or stars can make it fun.  If she wets, be supportive and remind her that results will come if she keeps up her efforts.

Provide Simple Reminders

Make using the bathroom just before he gets in bed part of his bedtime routine.  Also remind him that it’s OK to get up during the night to use the bathroom.  Nightlights can help him find his own way when he needs to go.

Does Waking During the Night Help?

Resist the urge to wake your child a lot during the night.  If you use this approach, waking once a night should be enough, perhaps right before you go to bed yourself.  Keep in mind that if you deprive your child of rest and sleep, you may increase his level of stress.  Stress can be a bedwetting trigger.

Involve Your Child in Cleaning Up

When he wets the bed, he can put his PJs in the hamper or help you change the sheets.  Make sure he understands it’s not a punishment, just part of what has to be done.  The idea is to make him more aware of his bedwetting without scolding him or making him feel ashamed.

Clean Up:  Removing the Smell of Urine

Accidents happen.  And when they do, urine can leave a stubborn odor in clothes and in bed linens.  Try adding a half cup to a cup of white vinegar to your wash to remove the smell.

Cleaning a Mattress:  Step 1

If you need to clean urine from a mattress, first use towels to blot up as much as you can.  Keep blotting, but don’t rub, until no more moisture comes to the surface.

Cleaning a Mattress:  Step 2

Once you’ve blotted up as much of the urine as you can, saturate the entire area of urine stain with hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for 5 minutes, and then use towels again to blot the area dry.

Cleaning a Mattress:  Step 3

Once the mattress is dry, sprinkle baking soda over the entire area and let it stand for 24 hours.  The next day, vacuum the baking soda away.  It should be clean and odor free.

Easing Sleepover Stress

If your child is nervous about sleepovers, remind her of the steps she uses to stay dry at home.  Giving her absorbent pants and extra clothes in case of an accident might put her at ease.   A sleeping bag with waterproof lining might help.

Beforehand, notify the adult host that your child may have some worries about bedwetting.  Discuss your child’s plans for handling it so everyone feels prepared.

Some medications (desmopressin or imipramine) may help for special occasions when your older child wants to stay dry, such as at camp.

Be Patient about Bedwetting

Scolding or losing your temper won’t make your child stop wetting the bed.  Don’t bring up bedwetting in front of others to try to shame her.  embarrassment will only increase her stress and anxiety.  Meanwhile, remember that bedwetting eventually does stop.  try practicing patience and providing support while you wait.

Dealing with Teasing in the Home

Bedwetting can make your child an easy target for teasing.  To help him handle it, make your home safe for him.  Don’t allow anyone in your family to tease about it.  Explain to siblings that bedwetting is something their brother doesn’t have control over and that he needs everybody’s love and support.

Bullying at School about Bedwetting

If your child avoids other children or comes home with unexplained injuries, she may be being bullied.  Listen to what your child says.  Talk with her and let her know that you know it’s not her fault.  Then talk with people at her school and ask what they’ve seen.  Be proactive and work with the school to find ways to make the teasing stop.

When to Call the Doctor

If your child is still bedwetting at age 7, consider setting up a doctor’s visit.  While there may be a medical problem, most of the time there isn’t.  Also, see the doctor if your child suddenly starts wetting the bed after being dry for 6 months or more.

How to Make Healthy Habits Stick

Don’t go it alone.  Reach out and talk to someone.  Get a workout buddy.  Look for support groups or classes.  Tell a friend or family member about you plan.  Having support can help keep on track.  Sharing your challenges and successes makes the work easier and less scary, too.

It’s tough to change too many things at once.  It takes time to form bad habits, but also takes time to replace them with good ones.  Conquer one habit, then move on to the next.

Studies show that by midyear, less than half had kept their January promises.  With the right attitude and approach, you can improve your own odds.

Everyone has lapses when trying to build a healthy habit.  It’s part of the process.  It doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

Forgive yourself for dropping the ball.  Use it as a chance to learn your triggers.  Can you handle being around friends who are smoking when you’re trying to quit?  If not, avoid those situations.  Learn from your mistakes, and move on.

Rewards, however small, can motivate you.  They remind you of your progress and make things more fun.

For short-term goals, rewards should be simple, like going to a movie, getting a manicure, or buying a pair of shoes.  Give yourself larger rewards for reaching bigger goals, like buying a piece of jewelry or taking a vacation.

Many people believe change can be cemented in 21 days, but research shows it’s not that simple.  For some, creating a habit can take 2 months or more.

Don’t be discouraged that things aren’t happening faster.  It doesn’t mean you won’t get there.  It takes time for the brain to make a new routine second nature.

When you create your goals in a positive way and use terms that focus on behavior you want to build, you are more likely to succeed.  It’s often easier to build a new habit than to quit a bad one.

Bypassing your bad habit for short amounts of time will help build your confidence that you can let it go permanently.  If you can do it easily, make the challenge a little harder until you reach your goal.  For example, if you cut the habit 1 day a week, try to go for 2 days next.

Big-scale goals can frustrate you and may make you give up.  Break them down into several smaller, easier ones.  And list the steps for each.  To lose 1 pound a week, you could try replacing dessert with fruit, for example.

Keep track of how you are doing.  People who do are more likely to succeed.

Is Your House Making You Sick?

Mold

Its spores can case a stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, and itching, if you have mold allergies, lung problems, or a weak immune system, these spores can lead to a serious lung infection.  Mold grows where there’s moisture, so watch for leaks in plumbing, walls, and the roof.  Use air conditioners or a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels under 50%.  Clean up mold with soap and water, or use 1 cup of household bleach in 1 gallon of water.

Radon

Rock and soil release this gas.  There’s a little in the air around us, but it’s dangerous if too much is trapped in your home.  Its radioactive particles cause damage when breathed in or swallowed.  It gets into buildings through cracks and holes in floors and walls, and around plumbing and wiring.  You can’t smell or see radon, but a simple test can tell you if your home has too much.  If you do, hire a certified contractor to make fixes.

Carpet

It can trap dust, mold, dust mites, dirt, and other irritants.  When you clean it or walk on it, those particles can get into the air.  The chemicals used to make and install some carpeting could be bad for you, too.  Consider hard flooring instead, or use throw rugs you can clean outside your home.  If you can’t get rid of your carpet, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter on it at least three times a week, and steam clean it every year.

Gas Appliances

Natural gas powers some ovens, stoves, and water heaters.  As it burns, it pts nitrogen dioxide into the air.  Too much of it can inflame your lungs and trigger coughing, wheezing, and asthma.  Get professionals to install and repair your gas appliances and make sure waste gases are vented outside.  Wood, oil, coal, and kerosene also make nitrogen dioxide, so be careful when you use them in fireplaces, wood stoves, and space heaters.

Cockroaches

Their poop and parts of their bodies can settle in the dust on your floors, bedding, and furniture.  When you breathe those irritants in, it can trigger allergies and breathing problems, including asthma.  It helps to keep your house as clean and dry as possible, especially fabrics and carpet.

Carbon Monoxide

Furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters, dryers, and cars can make this gas you can’t smell or see.  It can be deadly if it isn’t vented out and it builds up in your home.  Install carbon monoxide detectors inside, and use appliances properly.  The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are a headache, shortness of breath, blurry vision, and feeling dizzy, confused, weak, and nauseated.  If you hav them, get fresh air right away, then call 9-1-1.

Humidifier

It adds moisture to the air.  But don’t just set it and forget it.  Humidity above 50% may invite bacteria, fungi, and other germs.  And water starts to condense on windows and other home surfaces around 60%.  Plus, the humidifier itself can grow mold and bacteria that blow into the air unless you clean and dry it daily.  You can measure humidity levels with  a tool called a hygrometer from the hardware store.

Curtains

They can hold dust mites, pet-dander, mold, and other allergens.  The same goes for blankets, clothes, rugs, sheets, and other fabrics around your house, but curtains are often harder to clean.  Use blinds instead, and dust them regularly.  Or get curtains that are safe to wash in 130-degree water to keep the dirt and allergens to a minimum.

Household Cleaning Products

Ingredients in them can irritate your throat and eyes, causing headaches, breathing problems, and other ailments.  Some might even raise your risk of cancer.  Aerosols have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – chemicals that can cause damage.  And ammonia and bleach can be harmful if you don’t handle them properly.  Use products that have fewer or no VOCs, fragrances, and flammable ingredients.  When you use them, keep doors or windows open.

Air Conditioning and Heating

These systems change the level of moisture, dust, and germs in your home.  Make sure yours is properly installed and serviced, and change filters regularly.  You can even try a special HEPA filter that removes smaller particles from the air in your house.  You may want to consider professional cleaning if mold builds up inside the air ducts, if dust and debris clog them up, or pests like mice or other rodents make them their home.

Lead Paint

If your home was built before 1978, it’s likely there’s lead-based paint on the inside or outside.  If it’s in great shape, it may not be a problem.  But when it starts to chip, peel, crack, or wear away, it can form dust, which can damage your brain and other organs if your body absorbs it.  In kids, it can cause behavior and learning problems.  A professional can test your home for lead and tell you what to do to address any issues.

How to Stay Positive with Psoriasis

Most people wouldn’t put “celebrate” and “psoriasis” in the same sentence.  

The cause of psoriasis inflammation happens inside your body, its most visible symptom is on the outside for all the world to see.

“You wear your disease on your skin,” and that can be hard emotionally, says Erin Boh, MD, chairman of dermatology at the Tulane University Health Science Center in New Orleans.

In fact, people with psoriasis are twice as likely to get depressed as those without it.  Emotional problems hit women particularly hard.  Nearly 60% say psoriasis interferes with their daily lives.

“Women are especially impacted because they’re judged for their appearance more than men are.  To make matters worse, we women tend to be hardest on ourselves,” says Julie Shafer, PhD, a psychologist in Portland, OR, who counsels people with psoriasis.

But you don’t have to live that way.  Lift the weight of psoriasis off your shoulders.

Treatment Benefits Body and Mind

Boh says people who get the upper hand accept the diagnosis and get proper treatment.  “You don’t just live with it,” she says.  “If a doctor tells you that … or says it’s just a rash … find someone else who’s willing to help you.”

Treatment options include medications you put on your skin, light therapy, and drugs to calm your immune system.

If your treatment plan doesn’t work, ask your dermatologist about other choices.  People whose psoriasis is well-controlled report a better quality of life.

Remember that your mental health is just as important as your skin.  If you’re dealing with depression, treatments like anti-depressant medication, talk therapy, or both can help lift your mood.  Boh notes that many people can get off depression medicine once their condition clears.

Find Support

People who might be most helpful to you are those who know what you’re going through.  Talk to others living with psoriasis.  They can steer you to the best doctors in your area and offer tips and other resources.  Ask your dermatologist if support groups meet in your area.

“Support from those who have it is like none other.  They get it:  they know what it feels like to look like a snake shedding on your worst day and they celebrate your triumphs when you find something that works for you,” Jennifer Pellegrin says.

Online support groups are a good choice too.  “Social media makes it easier to find support at your fingertips, and that is what I find helpful,” Pellegrin says.  “It’s amazing that a disease like this can bring people together from all walks of life and from all over.”

Get Involved

Getting involved in the community is a way to stay proactive in your journey with psoriasis so you can be one step ahead of the game and feel in control of your life.

It’s also another way to meet others like you and listen to their stories.  You’ll have people to turn to when you feel defeated and need a pick-me-up.

Educate Others

You may want to tell co-workers (or anyone you’re around a lot) that your skin problem is psoriasis.  Educating others is even more important if they can see your condition.  Explain that psoriasis comes from a problem inside your body, not an infection on the outside.

Sometimes, stares or comments from others are hard to take.  Remember, you can’t control what other people do or say, but you can control how you react.

“If you’re in a good space, talk to the person who made the comment and let them know you have psoriasis and it’s not contagious.” Shafer says.

If the comment was rude, don’t feel like you have to attack with your own snarky one, she adds.  Do this instead:

·         Realize the comment says more about them than you.

·         Recall a recent compliment that someone gave you or something that you did well.

·         Remind yourself of who you love and who loves you.

Also, it’s natural to assume the worst, but realize that you may not know exactly why someone is staring.  “A person may have noticed the psoriasis and think you’re brave for condition,” Shafer says.

Take Care of Yourself

Eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise.  All three will help you manage your psoriasis better and help keep your mood positive.

Boh says to pay attention to what makes your psoriasis worse and avoid those triggers.  For instance, “if you know alcohol sets your psoriasis on fire, then don’t drink,” she says.

Stress is another psoriasis troublemaker.  Find healthy ways to manage it.  Boh suggests mindfulness meditation or yoga.

Other tips to stay in a good head space include:

·         Stay connected.  If you avoid social situations when you have a flare you let psoriasis win.  If you let psoriasis get in the way of your life, it will limit you in other ways in the future.  That said, if you just can’t push yourself to go out, invite family and friends over to your home.

·         Find your joy.  Whether it’s a ride on a rollercoaster or a dive into a good book, do what you lve.

·         Focus on gratitude.  Set aside time each day to focus on what’s going right in your life.

Myths & Facts About Fatigue

Walking for 30 minutes:  regular, moderate aerobic activity, like walking, is a great way to perk up and ease your fatigue.  Caffeine might give you quick energy, but isn’t a great solution.  It can keep you awake at night, which can make you sleepier during the day.  A 20-minute power nap can also revive your energy.  However, when you nap during the day, you may not be tired enough at bedtime to get a full, good night’s sleep.  Take a quick walk to re-energize!

It’s much better to get 6 solid hours of sleep than to spend more time in bed being restless.  If you wake up and it’s early morning, try reading with a dim light and go back to bed if you get sleepy.  But don’t sleep late to make up for it.  That will throw off your sleep schedule.  If you wake up in the middle of the night, it’s best to try to go back to sleep rather than pick up a book or take up another activity.

It’s tempting to stay home and hide under the covers, but it can feel better to get out and into your normal routines.  That said, you may need to ask for some help at work when you feel particularly bad.  You could talk to your boss about flexible hours or telecommuting as a way to tackle your symptoms while staying active and productive.  If you continue to feel tired, discuss it with your doctor.

Many people who have problems with fatigue have problems sleeping at night.  To help get a good night’s sleep:

·         Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex

·         Have a calming bedtime routine

·         Make sure your bedroom is dark and comfortable

·         Don’t exercise within 4 hours of bedtime

·         Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals close to bedtime

·         Go to bed and wake up the same time every day

Maybe you didn’t sleep well last night, but there can be other reasons for your tiredness.  Fatigue can be caused by a whole range of conditions, including depression, mononucleosis, anemia, thyroid problems, liver disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.  If there’s no clear cause for your problem, your doctor may want to do some tests to get to the root of your symptoms.

When you’re exhausted, you might not have the energy to get much done.  So prioritize – and get your most important chores or task finished first.  That way if you don’t get everything it’s OK.  You won’t feel stressed or overwhelmed, and the critical tasks will already be finished.

If you have a chronic illness that makes you tired a lot, tell your friends and family about it.  They can support you when you’re really at your lowest – and help out if you need it.  They’ll understand if you don’t feel up to being social.  You certainly shouldn’t force yourself to go out if your body is telling you that you shouldn’t.

When you have small bursts of energy, you may want to simplify your house to make things more organized.  Go from room to room – when you feel well – so that things you use are often in easy reach.  When items you use often are easy to find, you spend less energy.  Start with rooms you use the most like the kitchen and bathroom.

What you eat can have a big effect on how you feel and how much energy you have.  Sugar might give you a quick burst of energy, but when it wears off, you’ll be tired all over again. Caffeine, alcohol, and junk food also can contribute to general fatigue.  The best diet is a well-rounded and healthy one.

No way.  Learning to say “no” is really important when you’re fighting fatigue.  Only commit to the activities that are most important and most enjoyable.  Reset your priorities.  It’s OK to bring store-bought cookies to the school bake sale, and it’s fine to skip the after-work gathering if the payoff is feeling better in the long run.

Spicy foods – especially if you eat them near bedtime – can hurt your sleep because of indigestion and heartburn.  Fiber-rich foods, like many fruits and vegetables, help your body absorb sugar.  Fiber evens out energy highs and lows, which may keep you from getting too tired,  it’s also important to drink plenty of water.  If you get dehydrated, your body doesn’t work well and you can feel tired.

Breaking down tasks into smaller chunks can make them easier to get done and less tiring for you.  Just give yourself 15-20 minutes to work on something – whether it’s a cleaning chore or writing out Christmas cards – and then relax.  You’ll be less likely to overdo it.

When you’re overly tired and fatigued, it’s normal to be a little forgetful.  Try using calendars, lists, or sticky notes – whatever tools will help you remember what you have to do.

You may want to mention any worries about your forgetfulness the next time you visit your health care provider.  If you feel that it’s happening more often than it used to , tell your doctor.

Some medications can make you drowsy, and that can contribute to your overall sense of fatigue during the day.  Don’t stop taking any medication without talking to your health care provider first.  There’s a chance that you could switch to a different medicine without the same side effects.

Making some changes to your diet may help you feel more energetic.  Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids – like some seafood, nuts, and dark, leafy greens vegetables – help fight fatigue.  Foods that are full of vitamin B – such as eggs, lean meats, and dairy products – can also help restore energy.  And it’s important to start the day with a breakfast that has protein and carbs (like an egg and whole-grain toast) to get the energy you need to kick-start your day.  Alcohol, though, usually makes people drowsy.

When you don’t drink enough water, your body doesn’t work like it should.  You can get tired and lose energy.  That’s why it’s important to stay hydrated – so try to skip sodas and coffee and drink water instead.