Night-time incontinence is also known as bed- wetting or nocturnal enuresis. It refers to a condition in which you tend to urinate at night in the bed when you are in deep sleep. Night-time incontinence in small kids up to the age of seven years is not a cause for concern. Beyond this age, some kids may need a little help to develop bladder control. Most of the kids outgrow this condition on their own.(1)
What Is The Best Treatment For Night-Time Incontinence?
Small children usually outgrow the night-time incontinence on their own in due time. If they don’t, or in cases where patients are not small kids, or someone who has started night- time incontinence at an age when it is not expected, certain treatment options can be discussed with the doctor and implemented accordingly.
Also, if there is an underlying medical condition, which may be responsible for the night-time incontinence, then that underlying cause needs to be addressed first, in order to get rid of bed wetting problem.(2)
The best treatment options may include-
Moisture Alarms-
- Moisture alarms are battery-operated tiny devices that are attached to a moisture pad on your child’s pajamas
- As soon the child starts to urinate, the alarm goes off, waking the child up so that he can stop the urine flow and get to the bathroom in time
- If your child is a deep sleeper, you may need to be watchful of the alarm and wake your child up for urinating
- moisture alarm is the most effective method for many children to stop bed wetting and has a very less chance of relapse.
- Also, it is much better than medications
However, you may need to keep some patience with this system. It takes some time for this to start showing positive results(2)
Medication
If nothing works, medication may be prescribed to tackle the problem of bed wetting. Medicines are usually prescribed for a short time period. These may include-
Medicines That Slow Down The Night-Time Urine Production-
- Medicines like desmopressin diminish the production of urine at night.
- However, drinking too many fluids with this medicine should be avoided
- Also, it is not to be given if the child suffers from fever, nausea, diarrhea etc.
- It is given in a tablet form and is only to be given to kids who are above the age of five years
It was earlier available in a nasal spray form. But it is not recommended anymore because of the serious risks and dangers it poses(2)
Medicines Used To Calm The Bladder-
- If the child has a small bladder, an anticholinergic drug-like oxybutynin is given so that the bladder contractions are controlled, and bladder capacity can be increased
- This medicine is used with other medicines and is only given when other treatment methods fail(2)
Medicines do not provide a cure for night-time incontinence. Also, they cannot be given for a long term and the problem usually returns once the medicines are discontinued. In kids, the problem usually resolves on its own and in other cases, the underlying causes are to be treated to treat the problem of nighttime incontinence.(2)
Alternative Medicine For Night-Time Incontinence
People may choose to go for alternative treatment methods to treat bed wetting. Options for alternative treatment methods may include therapies like hypnosis, acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, herbal therapy, etc. however, the evidence regarding its effectiveness is very weak and more research needs to be done to confirm these theories.
If you wish to start on any alternative treatment method, it is advisable to talk to your pediatrician first about the same(2)
Conclusion
There is no single best treatment for night-time incontinence. Many times, more than one treatment strategy is to be used to achieve the best results.
Also Read:
