“Urinary Incontinence (Enuresis) in Children.” Urinary Incontinence (Enuresis) in Children - Health Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=90&amp;contentid=p03083. 

University of Texas at Austin

A second type of elimination disorder listed in DSM 5. Enuresis is also called urinary incontinence and results from the loss of bladder control ( in a patient who is old enough to control their bladder).

Enuresis 

Children have a greater risk of developing this disorder if they:

- are suffering from constipation problems
- do not have regular bathroom habits/routines
- are suffering from physical development problems
- are suffering from anxiety


Increased Risk Factors for Enuresis

Urinary Incontinence (Enuresis) in Children

The symptoms of this disorder vary greatly depending on age.

For a child that is 5 years or older, symptoms include wetting the bed/their clothes at least 2 times a week for at least 3 months.


Symptoms of Enuresis

This disorder goes away without treatment in most cases. However, if symptoms do not go away, treatments include:
- Lowering the amount of fluid intake throughout the day or in the evening
- Eliminating caffeine from the diet
- Exercising a schedule to wake up at certain times during the night
- Training to urinate with a schedule throughout the day
- using an alarm that awakens one if wetness is detected
- Medicines to increases ADH levels or relax bladder muscles
- Therapy to cope with accompanying stress

Treatments of Enuresis

The timeline of diagnosis varies for boys and girls. Since girls tend to gain bladder control earlier than boys, girls can be diagnosed from age 5, while boys can be diagnosed from age 6.

The diagnosis of this disorder is based on the health history of the patient.

Common questions used to diagnose the disorder are:
- Do other family members have enuresis or have any other family members had enuresis?

- How often does the child urinate during the day?

- How much does the child drink in the evening?

- Does the child have symptoms such as pain or burning when urinating?

- Is the urine dark or cloudy, or did it have blood in it?

- Is the child constipated?

- Did the child encounter recent stress in their life?

Diagnosis of Enuresis

The symptoms of this disorder can give rise of other problems like:
- emotional stress and embarrassment (social settings)
- Skin rashes from wet underwear

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