Health Tips for September 22

Health Tip: Choosing a Contraceptive

Among couples who wish to prevent unwanted pregnancy, there are many contraceptive options available.

Here are some of them, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Condoms, which also protect against sexually transmitted disease.
* A diaphragm or cervical cap, which must be fitted by a doctor.
* Birth control pills, which must be taken each day.
* The prescription birth control patch.
* The vaginal contraceptive ring, which is worn all the time in three-week increments.
* Hormone shots, which can prevent pregnancy for about one to three months.
* An intrauterine device (IUD), which is implanted in the uterus.

Health Tip: If Your Child Wets the Bed

While some cases of bed-wetting are triggered by a medical condition, most often the problem occurs as a child learns bladder control.

Here are suggestions for parents to help prevent their child from bed-wetting, courtesy of the University of Florida:

* Wake your child at regular intervals to use the bathroom. Progressively stretch out these intervals until the child makes it through the night without wetting the bed.
* Don't let your child drink too much at night, especially beverages with caffeine. Make sure your child gets enough to drink during the day, however, to prevent dehydration.
* Try a moisture alarm, which reacts to moisture and will wake the child to use the bathroom.
* Have the child try bladder exercises, such as stopping and holding a stream of urine.
* For bed-wetting problems that cannot be resolved with time and training, medication and psychotherapy may be in order.