Adolescent Health Issues

Adolescent Girls and Mental Health Treatment Centers

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:11:00 +0000

It may be a sign of the times that an increasing number of adolescent girls require admission into various types of mental health treatment centers, yet this fact is undeniable. Fortunately mental health treatment centers for adolescent girls offer several programs. Some treatment centers specialize in one specific mental health issue. Others offer counseling for several disorders. The centers are highly confidential, compassionate and sensitive to the needs of these young women. Therapists are college or university educated and are typically certified.

Typical issues that adolescent girls struggle with include eating disorders, family dysfunction, drug addictions, behavioral problems and anger management, among others. These issues are disturbing yet surprisingly common.

There are many reasons why adolescent girls suffer from such serious disorders. Girls with eating disorders may be affected by media portrayals of women with unlikely figures that are thin yet bosomy. Adolescent girls fail to realize that such pictures are usually airbrushed to attain bodily perfection and they may not be aware that many of their role models themselves suffer from serious eating disorders.

Girls with anger management issues likely hail from abusive or neglectful households. The same holds true for girls with behavioral problems, drug addictions and low self-esteem. Families experiencing divorce, unemployment, poverty and racism also produce unhappy and dysfunctional adolescent girls.

Fortunately mental health treatment centers for adolescent girls are becoming increasingly common and are usually very effective. Their programs directly and openly address these issues, both in group therapy and in individual counseling, particularly for girls with severe problems. Often the girls' families are invited for a number of therapy sessions, since they too suffer from various dysfunctions that need to be acknowledged and treated.

Many mental health treatment centers for adolescent girls are residential. The girls reside within the centers during the week but are often released to their families on weekends. Some mental health treatment centers also offer outpatient programs as an alternative for adolescent girls who are reluctant to live inside treatment centers.

All mental health treatment centers have a set of rules the girls must abide by. Most centers only permit a minimum age of 12 or 13 years old. The girls cannot have any legal problems that will restrict their participation in the program. The girls must abide by the center's rules and they cannot have a history of excessive violence. Most centers rely upon schools, doctor reports and family in order to compile a girl's psychological assessment before admission into the program is granted. These assessments may include information regarding educational, medical, psychiatric, physical conditions, trauma, sexual behaviors and neurological history.

Although it can be difficult for a family to make the decision to enter an adolescent girl into a mental health treatment center ultimately it is a wise route for a trouble child. The acknowledgment that a child is troubled and requires help is a a crucial first step towards her recovery. Many girls and their families experience immediate, positive benefits due to the programs offered in these centers. The programs tend to be highly beneficial to both the child and her family, helping to resolve or at least begin to work through the complex stages of adolescent development and family dysfunction.

Ian Pennington

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about teen mental health, please visit Teen Girls Health for current articles and discussions.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD starts from adolescence onwards. OCD is feeling of strong obsessions and compulsions which result in intense discomfort and affects daily functioning. Obsessions are thoughts which are persistent and recurrent. They even include unwanted images and impulses which lead to distress and anxiety. These feelings and thoughts are usually irrational or unrealistic. Compulsions are repetitive rituals or behavior such as checking something again & again, or mental acts such as counting. These obsessions & compulsions cause intense distress and anxiety and can interfere with the daily activities, relationships, social activities and academic functioning. The person with OCD thinks that he has no control over his actions. OCDs are relapsing and chronic illness.

The thoughts change as the adolescent grows. Younger children suffering from OCD often have thoughts of harm befalling on them and their family such as thief getting into the house through an unlocked door. This will make the children to recheck the door and windows again and again fearing that they might have left the door unlocked accidentally. Teenagers suffering from OCD fear that they might get fall sick due to germs, contaminated food and AIDS. The adolescent develops certain rituals, such as washing hands innumerable times, in order to get over the fear. These rituals help them to think that they have overcome the problem for the time being and give them temporary relief. If they do not perform these rituals, they become more and more anxious.

OCD is a sign of brain circuitry’s unusual functioning and it involves the striatum part of the brain. The brain activity patterns of such people differ from normal people and people with other mental disorders. Researchers have concluded that OCD is usually a family problem and is a disorder of the brain. Streptococcal bacterial infection can create or worsen the condition of OCD. Adolescents with no family history of OCD can also develop it. Most of the adolescents feel embarrassed to talk about their OCDs. They think that people will label them as crazy and this will make them feel ashamed. This will make it difficult for the parents to talk to their children about their OCD, in order to solve them. Parents need to develop good communication skills for this purpose. Parent’s support is also very important to the adolescent. Cooperation is extremely important along with treatment, because if the problem is not treated the adolescent will grow into a disturbed adult.

Most of the adolescents with OCD can receive effective treatment. The treatment can include psychotherapy and intake of medications such as fluoxetine, clomipramine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline and other serotonin reuptake inhibitors. When OCD is caused due to streptococcal infection, the adolescent can be administered with antibiotics to kill the bacterium which is causing it. Exposure and response prevention behavioral therapy is very useful in solving OCD. In this therapy, the adolescent is wontedly exposed to his/her fears which give him/her obsessive thought. After that he/she is trained to avoid these thoughts and the rituals which he/she carries out to tackle the anxiety.

An adolescent having OCD can also have depression, substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, and other types of anxiety disorders. When a person with OCD and other mental illness, is treated, OCD becomes more difficult to treat and even diagnose.

Krishan Bakhru

Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:41:00 +0000

Sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse and are highly infectious diseases. Unprotected sexual contact risks the lives of the young by afflicting with sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV infection and even unwanted pregnancy. Every year, nearly nineteen million cases of sexually transmitted diseases are reported in the United States alone and out of these, half of the cases involve people from the age group of fifteen years to twenty four years.

The best way to make sure the adolescent doesn’t contract sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from all types of sexual activities. In spite of this, if the adolescent becomes sexually active, he/she must be advised by the parents to take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease. The best precautionary measure is to use a condom every time the adolescent has sexual intercourse. Only when other sexually transmitted diseases are prevented and controlled, HIV infections can be prevented.

It is best when the adolescent delays and abstains from sexual relationships, because the younger the person, the more susceptible he/she is to get a sexually transmitted disease. Having sexual contact during menstruation is also risky. It is good to avoid anal intercourse and if it is performed condom is a must, even when having oral sex. Every person should get STD checkups as frequently as possible, irrespective of being sexually active or not, after they turn into adolescents. Precaution must also be taken when getting injected by an intravenous drug, that the needle used to inject must be sterile. The adolescent must be educated about the symptoms and risks of sexually transmitted diseases.

Adolescents must be thoroughly informed even if they say they know it all. They must be asked to indulge in only safe sex, if doing so. Parents should talk honestly and calmly about safe sex and must answer all their child’s queries. Topics such as STDs, birth control methods, having sex because of peer pressure, and date rape must be discussed in detail. Most people think that kissing is safe, but it can spread the sexually transmitted disease, herpes and many other diseases. Condoms do not provide hundred percent protections for genital warts, AIDs and genital warts. Females shouldn’t douche as it can make the infection go deeper into the reproductive tract and can also wash off spermicidal protection. At a time, sexual intercourse must be provided with only one partner, who isn’t involved with any other sexual partner.

The sexually transmitted diseases are Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS, Human Papillomaviruses or HPVs, chlamydial infections, pelvic inflammatory disease or PID, Gonorrhea, Genital Herpes, syphilis, and genital warts. The symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases take time to surface. Some of them are also symptom less and even these diseases can be contagious. Especially in the case of female, the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases can be confused with the symptoms of other diseases. But females get severe symptoms and get it more frequently. Sexually transmitted diseases can harm the fallopian tubes and uterus. It can even lead to inflammatory disease, which in turn can cause ectopic pregnancy or infertility. Cervical cancer, in females, can be associated to sexually transmitted diseases. If a female gets a sexually transmitted disease during her pregnancy, the disease can pass onto her child. Sometimes the newborn’s infections can be treated successfully, but at other times, the child can be disabled for life or die.

If an adolescent is diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases, his or her treatment must start immediately. The early the sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed, the easier it is to treat them successfully. The other sexual partner must be informed so that they can get themselves diagnosed and can undergo treatment. The adolescent must be instructed to stay away from sexual activity while the treatment is going on. The checkup must be followed after the treatment. Tests such as pelvic examination, Pap test, and test for STDs should be taken periodically.

Sexually transmitted diseases can affect people of all economic levels and backgrounds. Half of the cases of sexually transmitted diseases involve young people below the age of twenty five. The more sexually active the person is the more risk he/she is. And multiple sex partners at a given time are very dangerous too and must be strictly abstained from.

Krishan Bakhru

Depression in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:33:00 +0000

Depression in adolescents is a disorder which occurs due to persistent sadness, loss of interest, loss of self worth and discouragement. Depression is normally a temporary reaction towards situations of stress. Depression is a normal part of the maturation process of adolescents. It is even induced due to production of sex hormones. Adolescent females are depressed twice more than adolescent boys according to a study.

Adolescent behavior is normally marked with good and bad moods. The transition from a good mood to bad mood and vice-versa, can take minutes, hours and even days. That is the reason why true depression is very difficult to find out. Depression in adolescents can be caused due to bad school performance, break up with boyfriend or girlfriend, and failing relations with friends and family. These causes can lead to persistent depression. Other serious causes are chronic illness, obesity, child abuse, stressful lifestyle, poor social skills, unstable care giving and depression in family history.

Symptoms of depression in adolescents are eating disorders, weight change, irritable mood, excessive sleeping in daytime, excessive temper, criminal behavior, memory loss, fatigue, self preoccupation, sadness, difficulty in concentrating, worthlessness feelings, loss of interest, self hatred, obsession with death and thought & attempts of suicides. When these symptoms are being noticed for more than two weeks, it is important to get treatment for the adolescent. Depression not only affects interpersonal relationships, but school performance as well. Depressed adolescents are more prone to take onto drugs and alcohol as an attempt to overcome their depression. Such problems require intensive treatment.

The doctor will take blood test and perform physical examination to determine the cause of depression. The adolescent can also be tested for substance abuse such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, marijuana smoking, and usage of other drugs. After the physical examination, psychiatric evaluation is also done to understand the cause of sadness, loss of interest and irritability. Depression can also lead to the development of other psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mania and anxiety. It is also important to determine whether the adolescent poses a risk for himself/herself and others. Family and school personnel can provide valuable information about the adolescent to the doctor.

Treatment for depression for adolescent is similar to the treatment of depression for adults. Along with the treatment, the adolescent are given antidepressant medication and psychotherapy. Antidepressant medications include tricyclics, Prozac, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRI. Some of the medicines increase the risk, so it is a good idea that parents discuss the possible risks with the doctor. Only some of the antidepressant medications are meant for children and adolescents. Adolescents with severe depression need to be hospitalized as they are more prone to kill themselves.

Family and school support is necessary to tackle the depression of the adolescent. Parents can get their children admitted in emotional growth schools, boot camps or wilderness programs, to solve the behavioral problems. These programs consist of non medical staff and confrontational therapies. But care must be taken as some of the programs can in turn harm children who are depressed and sensitive. Adolescents, who get caught due to criminal offense, should be taken special care of by their parents. It is best that the child face the consequences and learn a lesson from it. Depressed adolescents respond well to treatment if they are treated comprehensively and early. More than half of the adults are known to have depression when they were in their teens.

Krishan Bakhru

Tests and Examinations for Adolescent Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Adolescence is the time when girls face many changes as they not only become physically mature, but sexually, too. In order to maintain good health, they need to consult gynecologist, adolescent medicine physician and obstetrician. Adolescents who are sexually active need to get some test done like pelvic examination, Pap test and test for checking sexually transmitted diseases. This helps the early determination of conditions that can affect reproductive, gynecological and sexual health.

Schiller test is conducted where the iodine solution is used to cover the cervix. In colposcopy, colposcope is used to check the cervix and the vagina. Cancer is checked by biopsy. In this a small quantity of cervical tissue is removed and a pathologist checks the tissue for abnormal cells.

The most important test is the Pap test or a pap smear. The cells from the mouth of the womb or the cervix are collected to check for cancer, abnormal cells, infection or inflammation. The detection of abnormalities shows signs of cancer. Therefore it is recommended that every female must take Pap test regularly to check out for invasive cancers in the early stages itself. And if invasive cancer is detected, it can be successfully treated in the early stages. Apart from detecting invasive cancer, other changes, such as cancer cells or dysplasia and inflammation, of the vagina and cervix can also be determined. Inflammation can be caused by pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, hormones, trichomoniasis infections, viruses, bacteria, yeast infections, and other medication.

The repetition Pap test will be suggested by the gynecologist. When a girl becomes sexually active, she will have to test for cervical cancer after three years of becoming active because it usually takes many years for the significant development of cancer or abnormality. Usually there are some cervical cell changes and transient human papilloma virus infections or HPV infections which are very common. Therefore, a Pap test for cervical cancer is recommended every three years. But women who are under thirty years are at a higher risk of getting HPV infections of higher risk. It would be more feasible if every individual takes advice from her doctor about when she can begin screening, the frequency of the test to be taken, and when she can discontinue the tests.

In a Pap test, if abnormal cells are determined, usually more tests are recommended to detect abnormalities which will require treatment. Abnormal Pap test will be handled differently for adolescents when compared to adults. Usually the low grade cervical lesions will not require any treatment and will go away on their own. That is the reason why the Pap test is repeated after a gap of six to twelve months, after the original Pap test which identifies abnormalities. But this repetition will vary from individual to individual depending on her health status and kind of abnormalities found.

A replacement of the Pap test is thinprep test. It involves new technique for testing cells from the cervix for abnormalities. But the cost of getting a thinprep test done is double the cost of getting Pap test done. The advantage of getting a thinprep test is that it requires to be re-done less number of times and detects lesions in initial stages itself. The cervical cells, instead of getting smeared on a slide, are introduced into a liquid vial. After the filtration of the liquid, the cells from the cervix are examined by being placed on the slide.

Krishan Bakhru

Smoking Related Health Problems in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:26:00 +0000

moking is the cause of many diseases and kills about four hundred and forty two thousand people every year in the United States. In spite of anti smoking campaigns and billboard warnings, more and more people are joining the bandwagon of smokers every year. Out of the total number of new smokers, ninety percent are children and adolescents, replacing smokers who have quit or died early due to a disease caused by smoking. Smoking is the top cause of preventable and premature deaths, followed by obesity.

Smoking not only increases the risk of lung disease, but also increases the risk of contracting lung cancer, oral cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart disease. Certain statistics by the American Lung Associations show alarming results. Over five thousand adolescents smoke their very first cigarette every day, out of which over two thousand turn into regular smokers. Presently there are nearly five million adolescents smokers. Twenty percent of the twelfth graders smoke cigarettes regularly.

Smoking has many harmful affects on the health of a human being. It damages the cardiovascular system, causes high blood pressure, increases heart rate, increases the risk of ischemic stroke, increases the risk of formation of blood clot formation, and decreases the oxygen amount which reaches the tissues in the body, reduces coronary blood flow & cardiac output, and damages the blood vessels. Smoking not only affects physical health, but mental health too. It causes psychological distress and depression.

Smoking not only affects the person who smokes but also other people who surround him/her. According to the American Heart Association, nearly thirty five thousand passive smokers die of smoke inhaled from a lit pipe, cigar or cigarette. People who do not smoke directly and inhale smoke from a cigarette smoke by his/her neighbor is known as passive smoker, secondary smoker or indirect smoker. Among the passive smokers, women, children and infants are at a higher risk. Infants and children who are exposed to smoke develop asthma, frequent ear infections and may even experience infant death syndrome. The symptoms experienced by secondary smokers are coughing, excess mucus formation in the airways, chest discomfort, chest pain, and lung irritation. They even feel irritation of throat, nose and eyes. If the passive smokers experiences chest pain, it can be an indication of a heart disease. Sometimes the symptoms of secondary smoking can coincide with the symptoms of other medical conditions. Hence, it is recommended to contact the doctor immediately after the surfacing of the symptoms.

In active smokers, smoking, apart from building up high cholesterol in blood, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, physical inactivity and diabetes. So smoking cessation will not only reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, which is top of the list, but also decreases the risk by fifty percent of heart attacks and deaths caused by it. But quitting smoking undertakes lots of physical and mental efforts. The person should be made mentally relaxed and stress free. In case of adolescents, they can be asked to exercise regularly and sleep adequately. The American Lung Association and The American Academy of Otolaryngology have developed certain tips which can be of great help to the smokers who are thinking of quitting. The smokers must first be made to understand the reason for quitting. Stress only makes even more difficult to quit smoking, so a stress free period should be chosen to quit. Family and friends’ encouragement and support are extremely necessary to persuade the smoker to quit. If the support isn’t sufficient, smokers can join a smoking cessation program or a support group to attain their goals. A balanced diet is a must, along with lots of rest.

Sometimes taking nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine chewing gum, nicotine inhalers, and nicotine patch, are a great help to smokers who want to quit. By using these products the smokers can satisfy their nicotine craving. The good thing is that these nicotine replacement products can deduct the poisonous gases and tars emitted by the cigarettes. But nursing and pregnant women should consult a doctor before trying nicotine replacement products. For such people non-nicotine alternative is available in the market.

Krishan Bakhru

Adolescent Sleep Disorders—could School Schedules Be To Blame?

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:20:00 +0000

More and more, adolescents have been diagnosed with adolescent sleep disorders. Most commonly, adolescent sleep disorders prevent teenagers from receiving the proper amount of sleep. Most experts agree that teenagers need about nine hours of sleep; however, the average teen gets about six and a half hours of sleep on a school night, while some get even less.

Adolescent sleep disorders are thought to be caused by irregular sleeping patterns. Most teens are forced to wake up early to attend school, which conflicts with their natural tendencies to stay up later at night and wake up later. To compensate for this, teens try to catch up on their sleep during the weekends, oftentimes sleeping well into the afternoon. But experts agree that teens need to establish regular sleep patterns in order to avoid adolescent sleep disorders.

Sleep Deprivation Effects

Teens with adolescent sleep disorders are often deprived of sleep, which has many negative effects. Sleep deprivation could hinder both memory and creativity, which in turn could cause issues with learning abilities. Lack of sleep can result in mood swings, stress, and difficulty controlling emotions, depression, and a weakened immune system. A weakened immune system could cause many other long term problems as well.

What Can Be Done to Fix the Problem?

The solution to reducing adolescent sleep disorders is by no means simple. Because studies have shown that teenagers have a natural inclination to sleep late and go to bed late, the best solution would be to change the schedule of when students attend school. Currently, in many school systems throughout the world, high school students attend school, beginning as early as 7:25! This means that many high-schoolers are required to make it to the bus stop by 6:45 or earlier. Middle schoolers begin school next, with elementary schoolers beginning school the latest. But many people have expressed their support for reversing this schedule, allowing the high school students to begin school last.

There are problems with this solution, however. It would cost a lot of money to change the schedule that the busses run on. Additionally, many students have pointed out that a potential schedule change would interfere with extra curricular activities. Many students don’t leave the school until 4:00 already—with the new system, many high school students that are involved in clubs and sports would not arrive home until 7:00 or later.

Simon Peters

Father's Involvement Reduces Adolescent Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:18:00 +0000

A strong and healthy father-child relationship can be closely associated with the lack of behavioral and emotional difficulties in adolescence, and a good academic motivation as well, according to a research done by the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford.

According to Ann Buchanan and Dr Eirini Flouri, co-authors of the research, girls whose male parents are closely involved in their upbringing are unlikely to develop any sort of mental health issues in their later lives. In the case of boys, they tend to be more disciplined and ordered and are less likely to get involved in law and order problems as they grow up.

The research authors defines an 'involved' father as a person who understands the child, reads his/her mind, take him/her for outings, concerned about the child's education, and willingly takes an equal role as the mother in managing the child. According to the research team, whether or not he is living with the child's mother or whether or not he is the biological father of the child is totally immaterial. Only the depth of the father-child relationship is what matters the most.

The study further observes that more the father's educational attainments, the better will be his involvement with his son or daughter. Other key findings include:

1) the father involvement at an age of 7 is strongly linked to the child's later academic achievements and

2) father involvement in the childhood shields the children against adult experience of homelessness in sons of manual laborers.

The research was conducted on around 17,000 children, born in 1958 and brought up in United Kingdom. The children were followed up periodically at the ages 7, 11, 16, 23 and 33, and their lifestyle and mannerism were noted down meticulously each time, before finally arriving at the conclusion.

To conclude, the study results clearly points to the fact that the quality time a father spends with his children has a very decisive effect in the shaping of his/her psychological and emotional side. The findings also draws attention to the role of education in shaping the character of fathers themselves, so that they become more children friendly and attentive to their behavioral and emotional needs when they require it the most, in the teen ages.

Jessica Moore

Children Grown Up: Adolescent Nocturnal Enuresis

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Urinating while asleep, also called nocturnal enuresis, is common in children. It is messy and upsetting, however since it is uncontrollable, it is simply a sign of a developing body becoming accustomed to sleeping without diapers. Nocturnal enuresis in teenagers and adolescents, though, is a different matter. It may be worrisome for parents; it can be embarrassing for older children, and is considered a physical symptom of deeper troubles in a teenager or adolescent.

What causes nocturnalenuresis? To understand it, one needs to understand how the kidneys and their corresponding hormones work together. One hormone in particular, the antidiuretic hormone, controls the release of water in the body. The antidiuretic hormone is involved with a hormone cycle that ensures that the bladder will not be full until the morning; this in turn ensures that a person will urinate upon awaking.

However, this antidiuretic hormone cycle is not entirely operational in babies. It will develop in older children; in a few cases, it will be stable at the end of puberty; in particularly rare cases, the cycle will not be established at all. These uncommon scenarios are what may cause adolescent bedwetting.

Another means of controlling urination is via the brain, which, for its part, controls the body's capability to awaken before urination. In children, this is learned by the brain, as it becomes more and more aware of the body's hormonal cycles. This learning process, however, can be interrupted by certain factors such as emotional or physical stress. Such stress can be as mild as forcing children to urinate when they are not fully awake. Other contributing factors can be more damaging, such as physical or sexual abuse.

If your teenager or adolescent wets his or her bed, you might want to consider one of the following treatments and therapies.

The first consideration in teenage enuresis is the body's inability to develop the antidiuretic hormone cycle, or the brain's inability to identify it. Your healthcare professional may suggest antidepressants such as Nortriptyline and Amitriptyline, both of which can treat enuresis for up to three or four months.

Desmopressin, another common enuresismedicine, mimics the role of the antidiuretic hormone, and can be taken when diagnosis points to poor hormonal development as the cause of enuresis.

The second consideration when treating teenage enuresis is the brain's inability to both recognize the antidiuretic hormone cycle, and to control it with respect to time and sleep. To address this, psychiatrists advocate training machines such as the bedwetting alarm. This nighttime gadget can aid teenagers to wake up when they first feel moisture, and that they must urinate. Ideally, this will lead to the body finally recognizing when the bladder is full, and can curb teenage enuresis.

The third consideration may be the body's total inability to control enuresis, which is quite rare. In this case, doctors advise using diapers or pads, which will help reduce the discomfort associated with enuresis. Although this lessens the shame, it will not stop enuresis entirely, and additional measures should be taken to stop it.

The last consideration may be the brain's inability to control urination or identify the antidiuretic hormone cycle because of psychological issues. Such issues may be brought about by stress; if this stress stems from physical or sexual abuse, your child may refuse to talk to you about it. Psychiatric care and therapy is advised in such situations; although counseling may not directly target the problem of teenage enuresis, it may give you and your child closure on any issues that are brought to light.

Teenage or adolescent enuresis is a treatable disorder, and it needs both patience and consideration on the part of the concerned parent. If your adolescent is wetting his or her bed, take him or her to your physician, and have the problem diagnosed and treated. In no time, your adolescent will no longer need to deal with the embarrassment and messes associated with their condition.

Elizabeth Radisson

Four Affecting Factors of Adolescent Self Esteem

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Self esteem is important factor for everyone, especially for an adolescent, in their social life and personal life. Here you will know the four affecting factors of self esteem and how to improve self esteem by deal with those affecting things. As In their adolescent period, they grow the base of self- esteem for full life. We may be known that there are many factors that affect adolescent self esteem. Children begin to develop self esteem while very young. Parents, friends, teachers and the television all the surroundings of the children contribute a lot, without knowing, in their mental development.

Self Physical Image factor- is one of the major factors that affect an adolescent's self esteem. I am saying, it doesn’t depend on how he or she looks like it depends on what is the concept of beauty he or she has or way one thinks about his or her body image is. Children from very childhood and onwards may feel the society prefer good looking people or value them more than others. For instance, kids at the same age prefer to associate with better looking kids rather than those with deformities or physical problems. And we know about school Teasing and bullying on those time can be huge harmful for adolescent self esteem.

Family Support – family support and encouragement can actively shape adolescent self esteem. Sometime, It may looks like adolescents are embarrassed by displays of affection from their family members and relatives but these display in reality play a vital role in keeping them well grounded and positive in themselves. Lot of communication from family members, parents and brothers or sisters, can help to provide a good base for expressions of emotional feelings like happiness, sorrow, grief and anger. Giving children the necessary love and caring that they need and it will prevent boost his or her self esteem in their adolescent time. .

Include yourself in Activities that you are good at or like to do-Taking part or having an active role outside of lessons is good for building adolescent self esteem. Maybe you like to dance, play football, whatever you like you should include yourself. This will encourage them to relate and come together with other adolescents. This also gives kids a chance to stand out in something, which can be very good for adolescent self esteem. Find something that interests you and try it out to see if you can excel in it and we should remember not to be easily discouraged by initial failures.

Get An Idea Of Who You Are-it may be a hard job for adolescents as they are just figuring out how to deal with adolescence things. But we can get an idea of our goal in life and start from there. In adolescent time, you may have definite likes and dislikes as well as some clear idea of what you want to be or what interests you most. Having a clear goal in life is great benefit for not only for adolescent but also for anybodies self esteem . By the way, it maybe some radical idea for Adolescents to meditate to know themselves well ,but this will definitely calm down their dysfunctional emotions or Will able to handle emotional stress well And will be figure it out who really they are.

Maybe, some adolescent having problem with their self esteem but we should remember one thing in mind change is possible whatever our present situation is. I wish you good luck in this journey of having better self esteem for better life.

Shahriyar

Adolescent Obesity - The Blame Game

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:57:00 +0000

The prevalence of weight issues among the tweenage generation has prompted debates between schools, parents, food giants and kids. The blame game is often played while our youth continue to tip the scales. This hot topic of Adolescent Obesity is the subject for the current episode of Teen Talk, an online video commentary feature hosted by former Nickelodeon hostess Chloe Dolandis. Teen Talk is a subsidiary of Kidfluence, an up-and-coming television show and Web site for today's youth, tackling topics critical to the development of today's teenagers.

Obesity used to be looked at as only an adult issue, but with the rising statistics of overweight kids, this is a far greater problem than imagined. The fact that more kids today are having radical gastric bypass surgery only reinforces the necessity to explore this issue. Schools often serve as the scapegoat because of their documented unhealthy offering of food choices. Yet parents can set bad examples themselves by indulging in junk food and failing to closely monitor their child's eating habits. At such impressionable years such as the tweenage ones, the responsibility for maintaing healthy lifestyles for our kids is a collaborative effort.

Some ways to combat obesity include healthy diet and exercise, as I'm sure you know. You can always grab a healthy snack instead of sugary, processed foods. Also, make your exercise routine fun- get creative! Play Dance Dance Revolution for an hour and work up a sweat!

In this current Teen Talk episode, Chloe presents the facts about adolescent obesity, analyzes what parents, schools and kids should be doing and offers a few tips. Teen Talk, which caters to today's technology savvy teenagers, is meant to be highly interactive. Viewers are encouraged to send e-mail and comments on the blog (www.teentalkblog.tv).

Teen Talk is now airing on the Internet via the web sites Kidfluence.tv, YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo Video and myspace.

Steve Ruprecht

Adolescent Bodybuilding: Is It Too Early To Start?

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:54:00 +0000

Adolescent bodybuilding is a great way to instill discipline and start out on the road to a healthy lifestyle at a young age. In contrast to bodybuilding for the older crowd, adolescent bodybuilding has a completely different set of rules; reps and sets change, as well as the amount of weight, frequency of workouts, even goals and motivation.

Home Many Days

Adolescent bodybuilding workouts should not be undertaken more than three days a week to start. In fact, three days is ideal in adolescent bodybuilding. Once you gain more experience you can lift four or five days a week. It is important to stick to this schedule in adolescent bodybuilding to avoid over exertion. Yes, the younger you are the easier you bounce back, but you should avoid this urge for at least a while.

Length of Session

One hour should be plenty, but no more than 90 minutes. You might be young, but you are not invincible. If you push your body to hard it can set you back on your road to success by forcing you to take extra days off to recover.

Reps, Sets and Weights

These are probably the most difficult aspects of adolescent bodybuilding to establish. This is because you will have to experiment and see what works best for you. What works best for some may not always work for everybody else. Play around with weight, sets and reps to see what works best. This can take a few months so be patient and do not get discouraged. Every young person interested in adolescent bodybuilding has gone through the same process.

Goal Setting

As with any form of bodybuilding, in adolescent bodybuilding you should have goal. These goals should be reasonable and achievable in a short period of time, and by reasonable, I do not mean aim to look like the Incredible Hulk within six weeks. A good form of motivation is to take a picture of yourself in a bathing suit as you undertake your healthy lifestyle choice and compare your body to it as you begin to excel at your adolescent bodybuilding program.

Rewards

The older crowd of bodybuilders can appreciate the rewards of a longer life span, but for those in the adolescent bodybuilding domain the rewards are more along the lines of impressing the opposite sex and feeling good about themselves. There is nothing wrong with this. Self-esteem is important at this age in a young person’s life, so if adolescent bodybuilding helps accomplish this, then great. What really matters (good health, discipline and self control) will come later.

The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson

Growing Up Is Fun But Really Stressful, By An Adolescent

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:47:00 +0000

College is one of the most important phases in any person’s life. There are some who enjoy these days by going to parties and watching movies and simply enjoy themselves, there are others who have to work and provide for to a family at the same time. This period, like any other period, in a person’s life goes through in phases and with each phase comes an increasing level of stress. Some stress is good and is necessary, it is termed as Eustress. It is the minimum level of stress that keeps us motivated to do our best and thus is positive in nature. Some stress is negative and its constancy can cause us much harm, this kind of stress is known as Distress.

The first change that occurs with college is the absolute freedom we receive, and we are not always use to it and get carried away in the process. Important decisions are to be made, like what courses to choose and what career to follow? Whether to live at home or in a hostel? Students have to develop an ethical value system that is best suited to them. Once the courses are chosen, the most common reason for stress is grades. The students put themselves under a lot of pressure to perform better, the professors often tend to side the ones who score high marks rather than focusing on how much the students learn, the pressure to perform together with the pressure to impress could lead to a lot of stress. Students who enter college on scholarship programs or those from low socio economic status who have the responsibility of caring and providing for the family, suffer the most. Some of them even take up part time jobs that leave them no time to relax.

Next in line are friends. Friends are the most important part of any ones life. Friends give our life meaning and to some extent help us find our inner self. Making new friends and adjusting with their lifestyles is never easy. Sometimes it may lead to change in the value system. In the shoes of a non-smoker, “Do I really need to smoke to fit in the group?” Sometimes individuals change their entire perspective on life. Deciding on giving in to peer pressure or to stick with your own values and judgments often lead to conflict and stress.

Love is another important change in an adolescent’s life. There are different kinds of lovers. There are some who feel love is a game. Some feel it is something which would make them cool. Some are just flirting and then there are those who think love is eternal and forever. With these different perspectives sometimes different kinds of lovers get together. This could lead to a lot of stress. From one of my heart broken friends I got this, “My boyfriend thinks love is just another game in life. If you are strong enough you will win the game or else you are a looser. Sex is just another parameter just like cloths or shoes in life.” Many times sex is misunderstood and misused as love. Sometimes girls feel pressurized into being physical on the demand of their boyfriends. Sometimes it can lead to date rape or sexual harassment also. Most girls get too embarrassed to talk about it or seek much needed help; this resistance is very harmful to their mental and physical health.

With love and relationships come break-ups. Breakups are never easy. It can lead to self doubt, feeling depressed, and can sometimes also lead to a negative and poor self image. By the age of 17, most of the college students have had their heart broken and fallen in love all over again. By the time they are 18, they face different kind of stressors. Now they are official adults and have far more responsibilities. There is a conflict inside of them, as they are not children and not totally adults. They have to find socially accepted ways to express themselves.

This is a period where adolescents usually face identity confusion. They are in the process of making an individual identity based on their on values. Sometimes these values go against the values of their parents and family systems. In a typical Indian society, there are a lot of gender related stressors. Adolescent girls are under the pressure of getting married, and many times against their will. She is expected to perform all the house hold functions and duties and has to manage her education and homely duties which can be very stressful. She is expected to be humble and respectful and is many times not allowed to speak her mind. She is dominated by the wishes of her father and is given very little freedom. On the other hand the male child is encouraged to go out, and make a living. They are given more freedom than women.

These are few stressors that my surveys conclusively indicated. There are far too many that are faced by the adolescents of today. The stressors faces by adolescents today are far more different from the ones faces by their parents or even their elder siblings. The adolescents in our modern world are aware and willing to make a difference.

Jhalak Jerajani

Adolescent Dog Snapped At Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:44:00 +0000

I wrote to you some months ago and never write again, this because I did not have any problem with my dog until now and this is case of keeping the dog or giving her away.

Last week the dog (9 months now), growled to my 2 year old daughter and to my wife too when she tried to correct her after the action. They were watching TV and it looks like my daughter approached her face to the dog, she has done this before without this kind of reaction and last night she pet her on her back and the dog pull her lips up like if she was ready to bite.

She never growls to anyone and she is very friendly and some times very submissive with people and other dogs.

I'm thinking that this is something to do with my daughter's stature, she is a dwarf and I guess the dog looks at her as lower level because she is actually smaller than the dog.

I read the book trying to find something to do but I see you suggest a professional advice.

I don't want to risk the safety of my daughter or wife, if there is something I can try that you suggest I will appreciate.

Thank you
Guillermo Rodriguez

Dear Guillermo:

I would be careful about letting your daughter be around the dog at this age, however... I would not recommend getting rid of the dog if...

1. You recognize that more than likely, based on what you've told me, you don't have a bad dog. What you've seen is very common amongst young dogs. They are reaching adolescents and are testing out their position in the pack. They are experimenting with new behaviors to see what kind of response it will elicit from the rest of the pack. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD ENDANGER YOUR CHILD, but rather that you need to keep a very close eye on the two at all times.

She'll likely do this behavior a couple more times. When it happens, it must be met with a no-nonsense, extremely firm correction. (See page 45 and page 174) You must "psych" her into believing that if she tries to harm you or any other member of the pack again, then you will kill her. Make her never, EVER want to even THINK about trying such a behavior again.

2. Let me repeat, this is a very common behavior amongst young dogs. However, your child's safety comes first. I would not let a young child of this age be in direct contact with a dog, period. Regardless of the dog.

Please let me know if there is something you do not understand.

That's all for now, folks!

Adam

Adam Katz

How To Prevent Adolescent Smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:40:00 +0000

The ultimate responsibility of parents is to provide a positive role model for our children. If they see us smoke than we have no high ground from which we can advise them of the perils of smoking. If you are or were a smoker and you practiced your bad habit infront of your children, then they are really conditioned to take up the habit even before peer group pressure invites them to join in.

The science is in, smoking can kill.

Consequently it is with this thought that many parents wish their children not to acquire the bad habit of smoking since smoking is addictive, unfortunately many of our children are today caught up in adolescent smoking without any hard knowledge of how harmful it is to their overall health and to their future prospects.

Factors of Adolescent Smoking

Many people would agree that Adolescent smoking is often attributed to peer pressure and bad role models. These two are among the leading causes of adolescent smoking.

1. Peer pressure can be difficult for young people to handle. Unfortunately we cannot choose our children's friends and they often give in to adolescent smoking just to fit in or to be noticed.

2. Having bad role models to look up to. Like rock stars, movie stars, etc who have created their own stage persona that is perceived to be cool is also a heavy influence on their behavior and the taking up of adolescence smoking.

Doesn’t it all really come back to communication, by communicating with your children, building up a friendship and trust encourages them to communicate their feelings on what is happening in their world . When you have this communication ongoing it is far easier to direct their thoughts away from adolescent smoking by giving them strength of character and the ability to say NO.

By opening and nurturing the lines of communication you will find that the rebellious nature of youth is set aside as there is trust and understanding developed between you. Try not to talk down but rather talk to your children with respect, they in turn will respect you.

In your communications you can bring up the harm of adolescent smoking. Children quickly pick up facts and most are perceptive enough to understand how their bodies and consequently their futures will be affected if they take up adolescent smoking which inevitably leads to becoming addicted to this poisonous drug.

Parents naturally protect their children, however, it is also good for them to face the hard cold facts. It really is their choice and making them aware of the consequences of adolescent smoking will help them in their decisions making.
In many cases boredom leads to adolescent smoking, encourage your children to get involved in sport or outdoor activities, not only will this increase their level of fitness, it will develop self confidence and lead them away from adolescent smoking. Self confidence and a positive mental attitude will steer them in the right direction and give them the strength to resist peer group pressure.

By discouraging adolescent smoking, your child's body is able to fully develop thus ensuring a healthy lifestyle rather than one of poor physical development and constant poor health.

Paul Courtney

Tips For Getting Your Adolescent To Open Up

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:03:00 +0000

To many parents, their children seem like a closed book. At times it appears to be impossible to get them to open up and talk about their lives. But talking to your child and being aware of what is going on in their lives is one of the greatest ways to shield them from danger. Spying and snooping around isn’t the best way to get that information either, it will only makes matters worse if your teen finds out.

Here are a few tips to help your teen open up:

Start young. Keeping a connection going with your child is easier than starting one when you haven’t had one before. You may discover them trying to draw away once they hit a certain age; just being persistent and keeping at it can prove to work.

Be open to what they say. When you get your teen to open up, don’t be shocked if they say some things you are not fond of. Just be open to what they’re telling you instead of being critical. You can express to them that you don’t approve of something without attacking them. If they feel relaxed talking about serious things, they’ll be more likely to come to you if they have a dilemma.

Find a common ground. Look for things that you and your child are both interested in. It’s easier to talk about something that you both have in common.

Spend more together. A recent study showed that many teens complain that they are not receiving sufficient time with their parents. This is one of their top concerns. Many teens feel they can’t talk to their parents because they’re always at work or busy doing other things. Many time we fail to remember to take time out from our frantic lives to pay enough attention to our kids one on one. Some suggestions for spending additional time with your teen are:

Set up a definite time every week to spend time with your teen
Have dinner at the table with the whole family as often as possible
Work out or engage in a sporting activity with your child

While your teen may be hesitant to talk to you at first, keep trying. Likely, you’ll intimately break down the wall and they’ll look forward to talking with you and spending more time with you as well.

Aurelia Williams

Adolescent Stages Of Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Addiction has powerfully negative effects on adolescents, their families and the realization of their hopes and dreams. The sad fact is that that every addict started life as a human being with great potential. The addiction, like an overwhelming cancer can consume every aspect of the adolescents life. There are different stages of addiction. Each stage would require a different type of treatment modality. They are the early stage, the middle stage and the late or advanced stage of addiction. In adolescents, the stages of addiction can progress more quickly than as an adult, although this is not always true. It can take a few months or a few years to reach the later stages of addiction.

EARLY STAGES OF ADDICTION

Begins smoking cigarettes

Experimentation with drugs

Begins smoking pot and drinking

Hangs out with the drugging and drinking crowd

May steal medications from parents

Urgent requests for money, cons and manipulates to get requests met

Preoccupation with finding drugs and orients activities around them

School problems begin, maybe truancies or begging parents to make excuses for them

May not come home when requested, staying out all night

Few consequences from their use

Ability to control use

Tolerance to using

Substance use becomes a way of communicating to others

Attention span decreases

Lower tolerance to frustration

MIDDLE STAGES OF ADDICTION

Beginning to try and limit their use

Blaming others for thing that are going wrong

Using different types of drugs to gain control over use

Withdrawing from family and friends

Stealing

Academic decline and truancy

Mood swings

Lying

Increase in time spent in using substances

Changes in personal appearance

Arguments within the family

Legal difficulties

Loss of control

LATE STAGES OF ADDICTION

Suspension or being expelled from school

Increase in anxiety

Lowered self esteem

Increase in legal issues

Blackouts

Passing out

Signs of withdrawal symptoms

Unable to control substance use

Isolating

Anger outbursts

Denial of using

Weekend binges or daily use

Paranoia

Begins to steal, deal or prostitute to support their habit

Weight gain or weight loss

Stops trying to hide their use

Addiction is chronic, progressive and sometimes fatal. There are many forms of treatment for adolescent addiction. No one single treatment is effective for all individuals. Treatment must touch on all facets of the adolescent’s life. Social, family, school, legal and medical are just some areas that need to be a focus on, in treatment. If the adolescent is using heroin, medication management may be successful, such as buprenorphine or methadone. If an adolescent is using drugs, the best form of treatment always includes the family. Family participation and counseling is vital in providing proper treatment to the adolescent. Without family participation, the chances of the adolescent getting into recovery are low. The earlier in the addiction cycle that the family can intervene and get treatment, the better the chances for a full recovery.

Wendy McLellan MA, LCDPII

Adolescent Depression

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:59:00 +0000

Adolescent Depression:

The pressures of modern living are also having a detrimental effect on our adolescent youth. Take a look at the following statistics and be amazed.

Figures never lie and they are perhaps the best means to highlight certain facts and when they are brought to the notice of the general public leave a lasting impression. It is important to gain the attention of all who want to learn about what the statistics are saying. There are no doubts that statistics are nothing more and nothing less than concrete concepts that have the power to sway even the most skeptical of minds, and it will even show the young generation the true picture with respect to adolescent depression.

Twenty Percent Of Teenagers Are Sufferers

The first thing that will make you sit up and take notice about statistics pertaining to adolescent depression is the news that nearly a fifth of the teenage population in the US has experienced a form of clinical depression, even before having gained full adulthood.

Not only that, but there are about ten to fifteen percents of teenagers that have shown symptoms of adolescent depression and another five percent of the teenage population will have suffered from significant depression.

Secondly, another alarming aspect to adolescent depression is the fact that there is not much social acceptance when it concerns teenagers with such a condition, and what’s worse is the fact that as many as eight percent of teenagers will have experienced the re-occurrence of depression at least once a year. This is alarming because only a mere five percent of the national population suffer from depression.

When a person suffers a bout of adolescent depression it will generally last for about eight months and teenagers are also at risk that the subsequent attack of adolescent depression will strike them within a mere two years and the chances of this happening are about twenty to forty percent, and there is also a seventy percent chance that they will experience another attack of adolescent depression before they have even reached full adulthood.

Thirdly, another feature of adolescent depression is that quite a few teenagers will suffer from attacks of seasonal depression. This form of depression is most likely to strike during the wintertime, it is also found in places where the altitude is on the high side. Even the weather can play a significant part in the onset of seasonal depression, which means that teenagers also need to be aware of these external effects on the state of mind..

Fourthly, other figures related to adolescent depression reveal that dysthymia or a mild form of depression that lasts for a long time will affect about two percent of teenagers and a like percentage of teenagers are also likely to suffer from bipolar depression when they grow older. In fact, it is thought that as many as fifteen percent of teenagers that have suffered from major depression will later on be at risk of developing bipolar depression.

Thus, it is safe to say that adolescent depression will affect teenagers no matter their social background, income level, gender as well as race or even their achievements and that adolescent depression is very common mental health problem affecting teenagers in the US.

Paul Courtney

Common Oral Health Problems in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:52:00 +0000

Adolescents face many oral health problems which may require them to visit a dentist or any other healthcare professional. Irregular teeth growth is a common problem and adolescents with braces are a common sight. Another problem is wisdom teeth extraction or the removal of the third molar. Dental cavities are yet another common problem in adolescents.

Orthodontics is a specialty in dentistry which deals with correction, development and prevention of irregular teeth, jaw and bite. Orthodontics also helps to correct jaw disorders and facial abnormalities. If a general dentist feels abnormalities in the adolescent, he/she will refer the patient to an orthodontist. The American Dental Association suggests that every adolescent above the age of seven should get an orthodontic evaluation done. Problems which require orthodontic treatment are crowded or crooked teeth, extra teeth, missing teeth, under-bite, overbite, jaw joint disorder, and incorrect or misaligned jaw position.

To get braces or any other orthodontic treatments, the appropriate age is ten to fourteen years. But regardless of the age, the same physical and biological process is used in correcting and moving the teeth alignments. Braces are also known as fixed orthodontic appliances. There are three types of braces used to move and reposition the teeth. The first consists of brackets which are made out of plastic or metal. They are either of tooth color or clear and are bonded onto the teeth. The second type is the lingual type of brackets which are attached to the back teeth and cannot be seen while talking. The third type is a band. It is a metal band which covers the teeth and wraps around the last ones.

When adolescents wear braces they have to take certain precautions in order to avoid any more oral health complications. The most important precautionary measure is to brush the teeth regularly after every meal. Since the food can be easily lodged in braces, it is a good idea to brush carefully with soft bristles toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. In the morning, the adolescent must floss between the braces and teeth. Food stuffs which are sticky or hard must be avoided as they are very difficult to remove. Foods like caramel, chew candy, popcorn, and nuts must be avoided. Cleaning must be done by the orthodontist or general dentist, every five to six months.

The wisdom teeth or third molars can grow in people of the age fifteen to twenty five. These teeth cause problem, because most of the mouths are too small to adjust new teeth and hence they need to be removed. If the wisdom tooth has place to grow, without affecting other teeth, they can be left to themselves. But if the adolescent experiences pain, facial swelling, mouth infection and gum-line swelling, then they should be extracted immediately. They can also destroy the second molars and impact other tooth. Various gum and jaw diseases can be caused. There can be a tumor development; cysts development and plaque build up. Hence, a surgery is performed to remove the tooth or teeth. The gum tissue covering the wisdom tooth is removed and the connective tissue connecting the tooth to the bone is detached. The tooth is then removed and the opening is sutured. A general dentist can perform wisdom tooth surgery in the local office using anesthesia.

Five times common than asthma is tooth cavities. The tooth above the gum line is made up of enamel, the hardest tissue within the human body. The tooth below the gum-line comprise of nerves, roots and dentin. Dentin is another type of tissue and isn’t as hard as the enamel. The acid which leads to tooth decay is produced by bacteria. These acids, along with dietary sugar, attach the enamel and eat away the minerals within the enamel, until a cavity is formed. This is known as tooth cavity. The biggest prevention against dental cavities is brushing teeth twice a day and even better, after every meal with fluoride toothpaste and soft bristle toothbrush. Carbonated drinks must be avoided strictly and must be replaced with fruit juices and sugary food must be avoided. Intake of fluoridated water also helps a lot or fluoride supplements can be used as replacement.

Krishan Bakhru

Diabetes in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:48:00 +0000

Diabetes is a rapidly growing, serious health problem among youngster today. Above thirteen thousand adolescents are diagnosed for type 1 diabetes, every year in America. There has also been an increase in the number of teenagers with type 2 diabetes, which was more common among adults above forty and who were overweight. Clinics are reporting that nearly half of the new childhood diabetes cases are of type 2. Adolescents, who are obese and had type 2 diabetes in the family history, are at a greater risk of developing diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease where the human body is incapable of producing or utilizing insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the body in order to get energy by converting starches, sugar and other items. Since the insulin isn’t used properly in diabetic people, the blood sugar level increases. This glucose buildup is found in blood and is then passed onto the urine and comes out of the body and the major source of body energy is lost.

Diabetes is a serious chronic disease and should be handled at proper time; otherwise it can create serious problems. It can pose a risk and can damage parts of the human body such as eyes, teeth, gums, blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys. This is the reason why diabetes is responsible in most of the cases of adult blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputations. And if left untreated, it can cause stroke, heart disease and eventually, death. These problems are not only faced by adults, but also adolescents who get diabetes in their childhood. The important factor in treatment of diabetes is to keep the blood sugar level normal at all times.

There are basically two types of diabetes that will affect an adolescent. It is type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes affects the immune system’s function as the systems attacks the pancreas’ insulin producing cells, also known as the beta cells. Because of this, the pancreas loses the ability to manufacture insulin. This is the reason why people with type 1 diabetes take insulin everyday. The symptoms are weight loss, increase in urination & thirst, blurred vision, tiredness and constant hunger. And if the adolescent isn’t treated at the right time, he/she can slip in to diabetic coma which can endanger his/her life. In type2 diabetes, the body is incapable of properly using the insulin produced by the body and requires insulin from an external source, too. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are similar to type 1 diabetes. The teenager feels sick, tired, nauseated, and thirsty. The wounds will recover very slowly; he/she will get infections frequently, will develop blurred vision and will experience weight loss.

Parents play a vital role in determining the problem. They should constantly observe their child for eating disorders or signs of depression. Although cigarette, drugs and alcohol should be avoided by all adolescents and children, it is even more important that youngster with diabetes should stay away from these things as they can worsen the situation. A person with diabetes, who switches to smoking, is at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and circulatory problems. Consumption of alcohol can cause hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. It is the duty of the parents to make their child aware of the possible risk they would face if they start to smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs.

Children and adolescents, who have diabetes, face many challenges while trying to lead a normal life. They have to think twice before doing simple things as going to a party, playing sports and even when staying over with friends. This is because they require to intake oral medication or insulin. Their blood sugar level must be checked many times through out the day. Also, at gatherings, they have to avoid many food items. Because of this they will feel different from the crowd and can feel left out. Not only does diabetes pose behavioral challenges, but also emotional challenges.

Along with doctor consultation, a psychologist must also be consulted who can deal with the emotional challenges of the adolescent. The family should also play an active role in making the youngster feel better. The family should work in collaboration with physician, dietitian and diabetes educators. Teachers, counselors, school nurses, day care providers, and other community members can provide extended support and guidance. They can provide help with transportation, mental health counseling, health education, social services and financial services.

Krishan Bakhru

Adolescent Pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 05:45:00 +0000

Adolescent pregnancy in ninety nine percent of the cases is unwanted and is the major consequence of adolescent sexual activity, other than STDs. This issue has affected youth, families, educators, health care professionals, and government official. A study on the high school adolescents has concluded that forty eight percent of the males and forty five percent of the females are sexually active. One fourth of the high school students had sexual contact by fifteen years of age. The average age of boys is sixteen and a girl is seventeen, who have had intercourse. Ninety percent of adolescents, in the age range of fifteen to nineteen, say their pregnancy is unintended.

Seventy four percent of females above fourteen years and sixty percent of females below fifteen years have reported to have involuntary sex. Fifty percent of the adolescent pregnancies are within the time period of six months after the initial sexual intercourse. More than nine hundred thousand teenagers are reported to have become pregnant every year in the United States. Fifty one percent of the adolescent pregnancies result in live birth, thirty five percent result in induced abortion and fourteen percent result in stillbirths or miscarriages. Four out of ten adolescent females get pregnant, before they turn twenty, at least once. Twenty five percent of adolescent deliveries aren’t the mother’s first child. When a teenager gives birth to her first child, she increases the risk of begetting another child. One third of the adolescent parents are themselves result of adolescent pregnancies.

There are many reasons why adolescents choose to become sexually active at an early stage in life. The reasons can be early pubertal development, poverty, sexual abuse in childhood, lack of parent’s attention, lack of career goals, family and cultural patterns of early sex, substance abuse, dropping out from school and poor school performance. Factors which discourage an adolescent to become sexually active are stable family environment, parental supervision, good family income, regular prayers, connectedness with parents and living with complete family and both the parents. The factors which are responsible for the consistent use of contraceptive among adolescents are academic success, anticipation for successful future, and involvement in a stable relationship.

There are many medical risks associated with adolescent pregnancies. Adolescents who are less than seventeen years are at a greater risk of developing medical complications, when compared to adult females. The risk is even more in teenagers below seventeen. The weight of the child, given birth by an adolescent, is very low in these pregnancies. It is usually below 2.5 kilogram. The rate of neonatal birth is also three times greater in adolescents, when compared to adults. Other problems caused by adolescent pregnancies are prematurity of the child, birth of underweight child, poor maternal weight gain, poor nutritional status, anemia, STDs and hypertension induced due to pregnancy.

Although there is an increase in the use of contraceptive methods by adolescents during their first sexual contact, only sixty three percent of the high school students have said to use condom while having sex previously. Adolescents, who use prescription contraceptives, delay their doctor’s visit until the time they become sexually active for over a year.

According to a research, youngsters who have participated in sex education programs which gave them knowledge about contraception methods, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases and youngsters who involved in discussions in order to get a clear picture, used contraceptives and condoms effectively without any increase in sexual activity. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention has said that the solution for unwanted adolescent pregnancies and STDs are barrier contraceptive use and abstinence.

Krishan Bakhru

Eating Disorders in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:42:00 +0000

Since the adolescence is the age where bones are sprout and grow rapidly, well nourished food must be given to the adolescent to facilitate normal growth & development. The nutritional intake must be monitored regularly and modified depending upon the growing needs. Teenagers tend to develop eating disorders which affect their nutritional health. The eating behavior must be corrected as early as possible as it can lead to the development of complex illnesses. Eating disorder is the third common chronic illness, especially in adolescent females and the number has been increasing rapidly from the past thirty years.

There are two subcategories of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is the restrictive form, where the intake of food is limited severely. In bulimia nervosa is the eating disorder where the adolescent binges on food and then tries to minimize the effects by forcibly vomiting, fasting, and catharsis or over exercising. When handling adolescence eating disorders, they must be handled differently from adult eating disorders. Adolescents face problems such as growth retardation, suppressed height, abnormal weight, pubertal delay, menstrual periods absence, and menses unpredictability. When the adolescent is growing there will be critical tissue components loss like loss of body fat, muscle mass and bone mineral.

Nutritional imbalance is also caused which reflect abnormalities in the levels of vitamins, mineral and other trace elements. The problem is that these abnormalities cannot be recognized clinically. But since protein and calories are essential to the growth of the adolescent, it is important to trace their abnormalities. Because of the problems, healthy adulthood is not a possible thing. Because of all these reasons, it is important to diagnose adolescence eating disorders as early as possible. Eating disorders give rise to peak bone mass impaired acquisition in case of adolescents. When they turn into adults, this problem aggravates to osteoporosis. Even internal organs get affected due to eating disorders. All this can be prevented by early intervention so as to limit, prevent and ameliorate medical complications, which can turn become life threatening.

Adolescents who practice unhealthy weight control practices and are obsessive about figure, weight, food or exercise should be treated clinically. Not only should the symptoms be checked, but their duration, intensity and frequency should also be checked. Although most of the physical complications caused due to eating disorders get solved with the help of nutritional rehabilitation some of the conditions become irreversible and the long term consequences of this are very dangerous. It is best if the eating disorders are recognized in the early stages as it won’t result in irreparable damage. The medical monitoring should be pursued till the adolescent returns back to appropriate psychological and medical health.

Eating disorders not only result in physical abnormalities, but also psychological abnormalities. Adolescents with eating disorders take onto social isolation, low self esteem, affective disorders, low self concept, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. Usually adolescents switch to unhealthy eating habits because of depression and lack of knowledge about affective techniques to lose weight. So the patients who are being treated for eating disorders must also be treated for psychiatric illness, if they have any. Even if the habits doesn’t fit the strict criteria, adolescents who limit food intake, binge, vomit or purge accompanied with or without harsh weight loss, should be monitored because of the involvement of risk of even death. Early treatment will have an improved outcome. But the level of intervention in adolescents should be less when compared to adults.

Krishan Bakhru

Scoliosis in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:55:00 +0000

Normally, a spine when viewed from rear should appear straight but if the spine is lateral or curved or sideways or rotated then it is affected by scoliosis. It gives an appearance as if the person has leaned to a side. According to Scoliosis Research Society the definition of scoliosis is the curving of the spine at an angle greater than 10 degrees on an x-ray. Scoliosis is a kind of spinal deformity and shouldn’t be confused to poor posture. Usually there are 4 common kinds of patterns of curves experienced in Scoliosis which are: Thoracic wherein the right side has ninety percent curves, lumbar wherein left side has seventy percent curves, thoracolumbar wherein right side has eighty percent curves and double major where both right and left sides have curves.

In majority of the cases, as high as eight to eighty five percent, the cause of the deformity is unknown, this is also known as idiopathic scoliosis. It is observed that females have scoliosis more commonly than males. According to some established facts 3 to 5 children per 1000 has chances of developing spinal curves which is a number big enough requiring medical treatment. There are three types of scoliosis that can develop in children namely congenital, neuromuscular and idiopathic. Congenital scoliosis is seen in 1 out every 1,000 births which is caused due to vertebrae’s failure in normal formation, vertebrae is absent, vertebrae is formed partially and vertebrae is not separated. Neuromuscular scoliosis is linked with various neurological conditions and particularly in children who don’t walk like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, tumors in spinal cord, paralytic conditions and neurofibromatosis. The cause of third type of scoliosis called Idiopathic scoliosis is still unknown. It is further divided into infantile, juvenile and adolescent scoliosis. Infantile scoliosis occurs up to the age of 3 years from birth wherein the vertebrae curve is towards left and is more frequently observed in boys. The curve takes normal shape with the growth of child. Juvenile scoliosis is common in children of age three to nine. Adolescent scoliosis is common in kids of age ten to eighteen and this is also the most common form of scoliosis occurring more in girls than boys.

The other possible causes of the deformity include hereditary reasons, different lengths of legs, injuries, infections and tumors. There are numerous symptoms attributed to scoliosis which can vary from individual to individual. The symptoms are: Difference in heights of the shoulders, off-centered head, difference in the height or position of the hip, difference in the position or height of shoulder blade, different arm lengths in straight standing position and lastly different height back sides when the body is bent forward. Other symptoms include leg pain, back pain and change in bladder and bowel habits do not belong to the symptoms of idiopathic scoliosis and require medical checkup by a doctor. The symptoms may be similar to other problems related to spinal cord or other deformities or could result from an infection or injury and consulting a doctor is the best bet in this situation who may conduct diagnosis to know what exactly it is.

The diagnosis of scoliosis requires thorough medical history of the teenager, diagnostic tests and also physical examination. The doctor asks for entire prenatal history, birth history and also would want to know if anyone in the family has scoliosis. The doctor may also ask for the milestones related with the development of the teenager since some kinds of scoliosis are known to be related to neuromuscular disorders. The delay in development may need additional medical evaluation. Doctor may also prescribe x-ray, CT scan and MRI scan of the back to measure the degree of curvature in the spinal. There are various treatments available for scoliosis which is decided by the physician depending on teenager’s age, medical history and health in general. The method of treatment also depends on the extent to which disease has reached. The tolerance of the teenager to certain medicines, therapies and procedures are also taken into consideration. Expectations and opinion of the parents or teenager is also the criteria in deciding the type of treatment. The main aim of the treatment is stop the curve from progressing and avert deformity. The treatments include observation and repetitive examinations, bracing and surgery to correct the defect.

Heat-Related Illnesses in Teens

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Heat related illnesses are caused due to prolonged exposure to heat and also humidity without any reprieve and due to inadequate intake of fluids. Kids and teens adjust to the variations in heat compared to adults who adapt more quickly. However the heat production is high in them when compared to adults but sweat relatively less. Sweating is the natural action of the body and cooling mechanism to counter heat. Kids and teens often ignore these facts and do not hydrate themselves enough while playing, participating in sports and exercises.

Kids and teens with health problems that are chronic or those who are on certain prescription could be more susceptible to heat related problems. Overweight adolescents or those who wear heavy clothing in times of exertion also suffer heat related illnesses. Heat related illnesses are basically classified into three types. They are: Heat cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

Heat cramps are the mildest of all heat related injuries and constitute aching muscle cramps and also spasms that occur during intense exercising and also after intense exercising and also sweating in high heat. The symptoms of heat cramps include cramps that are painful in the legs. Flushed and moist skin is also symptoms of heat cramps. The symptoms could also include mild fever generally below 102 degree Fahrenheit. Teens suffering from heat cramps should move to a cool place and take adequate rest. Remove any excessive clothing and wear or put cool clothing on skin or cool skin using air conditioner or fan. Sports drinks which are cool and which contains sugars and salts can also be taken. Stretching out cramped muscles slowly and steadily also helps reduce heat cramps.

On the other hand hear exhaustion is more serious and severe compared to heat cramps and occur due to heavy loss of salt and water from the body. Extreme heat conditions, inadequate fluid intake and excessive sweating results in this conditions. Also, heat exhaustion occurs as a result of inability of the body to maintain the body temperature below the normal which can deteriorate further and also result in a heat stroke which is even worse. The symptoms of heat exhaustion are: muscle cramps, moist skin, pale skin, nausea, fever above 102 degree Fahrenheit, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, weakness, anxiety and faint feeling. Teens suffering from heat exhaustion should stay in cool surrounding and take enough rest. Removing excessive clothing, putting on cool clothes and sitting in fan or air conditioning also helps the situation. Intake of cold sports drinks which contains salts and sugars are also advisable. If a teen doesn’t show any signs of improvement even after taking all these measures a physician should be consulted immediately.

Heat stroke is the severest condition of all heat related illnesses. In this condition the body gets overwhelmed with excessive heat and the efficiency of the system that regulates body heat goes down considerably which can result in a serious emergency requiring immediate medical care. The symptoms of heat stroke include dry and warm skin, very high fever generally above 104 degree Fahrenheit, increased heart rate, appetite loss, nausea, headache, vomiting, fatigue, agitation, confusion, stupor, seizures, coma and possible death. A teenager experiencing symptoms of heat stroke should stay in a cool place and have adequate rest. Heat stroke is a serious condition and emergency attention should be sought by calling 911. In the meanwhile the affected teenager should be made free of excessive clothing and should be worn with cool clothes and also put cool water on the skin to lower the temperature. Placing ice bags in armpits also helps. Make the teenager drink cool drinks if the teenager is alert.

Heat strokes are very much preventable if certain precautions are taken like drinking adequate water during hot days, avoiding alcoholic and caffeine drinks, wearing light clothes, exercising in cooler time of the day, wearing sunglasses and hat, using umbrella on a hot day, applying sun cream with a spf of at least 15 etc.

High Blood Pressure in Adolescents

noreply@blogger.com (Arina) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:54:00 +0000

High blood pressure is a condition where the blood pressure is more than normal. It is also known as hypertension. Heart pumps out blood, so that oxygen can reach to different parts of the body via blood. The pressure with which heart pumps blood is known as blood pressure. The blood pressure comprises of two measures, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the larger figure and represents the pressure within the artery of the heart, when contractions take place which pump blood to different parts of the body. Diastolic pressure is the pressure within the artery of the heart, when the blood is filling in the heart and it is at rest. Both the pressures are measured in millimeters of mercury or mmHg. High blood pressure is abnormal increase in systolic pressure or diastole pressure.

Blood pressure is measured by putting a blood pressure cuff on the arm and placing a stethoscope on the chest. There can be very little variation in blood pressure depending upon the time, emotional moods, age, gender, weight, height, physical activity, stress and other illness such as heart disease and kidney disease. Children and adolescents become anxious when they visit the doctor. This is also an important factor which affects the blood pressure and the readings taken get tampered because of it. That is the reason why many blood pressure readings are taken in order to determine whether the adolescent has high blood pressure or not. The nurse may even ask the adolescent to calm down while taken the readings. Time gap is given between each reading, so as to give time to the adolescent to calm down. Emotions can also affect the blood pressure reading.

An infant will have a normal blood pressure reading of 80/45, where as an adolescent will have a normal blood pressure reading of 110/70. Therefore, age, gender, and height are important factor when determining the normal blood pressure level. Adults will have a higher blood pressure than the infants and teenagers. Also, boys have a higher blood pressure when compared to girls and tall people have a higher blood pressure than short people. An adolescent is said to have high blood pressure when the blood pressure is more than the blood pressure of ninety percent people of his/her age, gender and height.

There are many risks associated with hypertension or high blood pressure. The risk of developing coronary heart disease increases proportionally. The arteries will develop greater resistance towards the blood flow, because of which the heart will pump blood harder. Stroke is also another risk. Adolescents who have had high blood pressure as a child, develop harmful effects on the blood vessels and heart till the time they turn twenty.

The causes of high blood pressure can be classified as primary and secondary. If the causes are definite, they are primary and if the cause is linked to some illness, it is secondary. Primary causes are high blood cholesterol levels, smoking, stagnant lifestyle and overweight. Secondary causes are obesity, immobility due to chronic illness, prescription drugs, intense pain due to burns or cancer and illegal drugs. High blood pressure can develop due to hereditary reasons.

Hypertension is diagnosed by blood test and urinalysis. The kidney function will also be checked, along with blood cholesterol levels. Family history check is another important factor. Adolescents’ eating habits, exercise levels, activities in school and home will also be studied thoroughly. High blood pressure is dealt with by weight reduction, healthy diet, and increase in physical activity. If hypertension is due to illness, the illness is treated first. These treatment measures will decrease the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. It will also strengthen the heart and decrease the level of cholesterol in blood. This also helps to keep heart diseases at bay. The good thing is that only one percent of the adolescents, who have high blood pressure, need medication to bring back the blood pressure to normal.