Chlamydia is one of the most common venereal diseases in the U.S. and is found most often in sexually active adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19. Chlamydia is a disease that most teenagers know very little about, and don’t think to try to prevent. Second, it often has no symptoms at all, either […]
Medical
Does your teenager have swelling and tenderness around the knees and pain in the lower leg? He or she may have Osgood Schlatters’ disease, a disorder of the mineralization of the leg bones, that is quite common in active young people between the ages of ten and fifteen. This condition, which is caused by irregular
Scoliosis is a correctable deformity in which the spine curves to one side instead of growing straight. It is especially common in girls in the growing years between the ages of 10 and 16. Usual ages for onset in girls is 9 to 10, and for boys, 11 to 12. Although there is some evidence
Urinary infections are quite common in teenagers and young adults, especially women. There are many causes: • Bubble Baths can cause irritation of the urethra and can result in a urinary infection. • Careless wiping after a bowel movement causes feces to contaminate the urinary opening and can result in an infection. • Many young
Suntans and sunburns used to be a normal, teenage summer ritual. Now, studies show that prolonged sun exposure can put one at increased risk for malignant melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer. One study at Harvard Medical School found that even one case of blistering sunburn in childhood could double a young person’s risk
While many teens worry about being overweight, a sizable minority worry about being too skinny. What can your teen do if this is a problem for him or her? 1. Consider your teen’s age, state of development and body type. If your teenager is in the rapid growth stage of development, he may fill out
If your teenage son began complaining of pain in the groin what would you do? Assume the causes were minor unless other symptoms developed? This could be a terrible mistake. While it’s true that pain in the groin may signal only a minor problem, it can also be a symptom of testicular torsion, a medical
Many parents of teens worry about skipped periods that occur after a girl has started having a regular cycle of menstrual periods. There are a number of reasons why this can happen. Pregnancy, of course, is one reason, but other very common contributing factors are stringent dieting or frequent strenuous exercise. This can deplete the
In the past, cramps were considered part of the menstrual “curse” — an affliction to be suffered as part of being a woman. Today, we know that cramps, medically termed “dysmenorrhea”, are caused by contraction of the uterine muscles resulting in mild to great discomfort, and can be helped with a variety of drugs. These
Girls need to know about menstruation well before “menarche”, the first menstrual period, occurs. Too many parents wait until a girl is a certain age, say twelve, to discuss the subject, not realizing that many normal girls may begin menstrual periods as early as the age of nine or ten. Signs that your daughter may
