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 […]
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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
It was not quite ten years ago that Toxic Shock Syndrome was first connected with tampon use. In the years since, fear and uncertainty about tampon use have lingered. Can your daughter safely use tampons today? Unless she has already had Toxic Shock Syndrome, she can use tampons safely with these guidelines: 1. Be aware
Teen girls are most likely to worry about superfluous hair, especially on the face or around the nipples of the breast. Most often, this hair growth has genetic causes. If your ethnic origin is Mediterranean, your daughter may have a greater tendency to have more body or facial hair than someone of Oriental origin. For
While most women know that breast self-examination is a good health habit, most teenage boys and young adult men don’t know that testicular self-examination is a health saving routine they need to establish during adolescence. Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between the ages of 15 and 35, affecting some
Could your teen be using or abusing drugs or alcohol? Ask yourself the following questions: 1. Have my teen’s group of friends changed suddenly? 2. Does my teen receive phone calls from people I’ve never heard of before? 3. Is he irritable? 4. Is he having trouble concentrating? 5. Is he getting into fights at
The excruciating big talk about the facts of life, or an embarrassed silence? This is a problem many parents share. And, while sex education ideally starts with honest answers to a child’s first questions at a very young age, it is not too late to start talking now. Forget about the “big talk.” This is
The grim results of sexual irresponsibility are everywhere, not only in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease statistics, but also in emotional upheaval, broken hearts and dreams. How can you raise your teen to be sexually responsible, so that he or she can avoid these risks? 1. De-emphasize the double standard. Don’t restrict daughters while
Beyond the normal amazement of how quickly time can fly, you may have the disquieting feeling that your teenager is growing up just a little “too fast.” Maybe you have a thirteen year old daughter who is dating a high school boy, and going to parties where alcohol is served. Perhaps your fourteen year old
While many teens experiment with a cigarette, alcohol or drugs just once, and others confine their substance use entirely to cigarettes, the trend is toward risk clusters instead of one type of risk taking behavior. Recognizing a risk cluster can help a parent spot early signs of trouble. There are four, well documented risk clusters.
It is estimated that one in every thousand young people under the age of seventeen has diabetes. How can you tell if your child or teenager might have this disease? Symptoms include: • Sudden, excessive hunger and thirst • Unexplained weight loss • Frequent urination • Fatigue If your teen has these symptoms, seek medical
Your teen has colds, headaches, stomach aches and a host of other physical complaints. You may find yourself wondering if he is becoming a hypochondriac! The unique stresses of adolescence can make some teens appear to be hypochondriacs. • First, the physical and life changes in teens cause stress and heightened body awareness, so aches
The teen years can be a time of special difficulty and risk for a teenager who has diabetes, asthma, or some other chronic disease. The teen with epilepsy fears that he may not be able to get a driver’s license. The teen with diabetes has to eat on a certain schedule. This can also be
Teenagers are highly conscious and critical of their own bodies. Many girls worry about being too fat, even when their weight is normal. Many boys worry about being too short. You can help your teen to develop a better body image in several ways: 1. Compliment your teenager, whenever you can, about physical attributes. Too
Everyone has his or her own normal biological time table for pubertal development. Some boys, for example, show signs of puberty while still in elementary school, while others can get well into high school still looking like little boys. Being different from the average can be especially hard on a boy who’s puberty is delayed.
While most New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken, you and your teen might resolve, day by day, during the coming year, to improve your relationship with the following resolutions: 1. We will listen to each other. Each of us has a right to a point of view, a right to be heard, even
Even though the shopping days may have dwindled down to none, even though your family may already have opened a variety of gifts, there is still one more Christmas gift you can give your teenager today that can make this holiday special. The best gift you can give your teen today is some special time
