Summary

This breakthrough book covers the head-to-toe, outside-inside health needs of today's 10- to 21-year-olds. Written by experts in adolescent medicine and parent-child relationships, this comprehensive reference gives no-nonsense, straightforward guidance on how to talk with teens in a way that will help them take charge of their own health.Andrea Marks, M.D., and Betty Rothbart, M.S.W., take a unique approach -- they focus on the interplay of physical, mental, emotional, and social issues that make these years such a challenging time. They show how physical health concerns must be considered within the context of the three main goals of adolescence: gaining independence clarifying sexual identity Finding a realistic, satisfying place in societyCombining authoritative information with sound advice on communicating with teens, who really do want and need their parents' help (even though at times it may seem otherwise),Healthy Teens, Body and Soulwill teach parents how to open the lines of communication that will result in healthier, happier teens (and parents!).

Author Biography

Andrea Marks, M.D., a specialist in adolescent medicine, directed academic programs before opening a private practice for patients ages 9 to 30. She is on the faculty of The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and also writes a monthly column, "Ask Dr. Marks," for Cosmo Girl magazine. Dr. Marks will be President of the Society for Adolescent Medicine in 2004.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Stages and Tasks of Adolescent Development

What to Do About the Fears
Defining Adolescence
The Tasks of Adolescence

Early Adolescence:

Ages 10 to 14 -- the Middle School/Junior High Years
Health-Partnering in Early Adolescence

Middle Adolescence:

Ages 15 to 18 -- the High School Years
Health-Partnering in Middle Adolescence

Late Adolescence:

Ages 18 to 21 -- the Years After High School
Health-Partnering in Late Adolescence

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 2 A Doctor of Their Own

A Unique Set of Health Risks
Building Trust
Talking About Values
A New Role for Parents
Your Teen in the Driver's Seat
Stay with the Pediatrician or Find a New Doctor?
An Office with Teen Appeal
The First Visit

Information Parents Provide
Meeting the Teen
The Doctor-Teen Dialogue
Bringing the Full Team Together

Privacy and Confidentiality
Frequency and Scope of Visits
The Adolescent Checkup

The Physical Examination
Laboratory Tests
Immunizations

Adolescents as Medical Consumers

Overcoming Barriers
A Medical Consumer Prepares

Urgent Symptoms

An Ongoing Relationship

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 3 The Basics: Nutrition, Exercise, and Sleep

Health Basic #1: Nutrition

Growth Spurts in Weight and Height
A Healthy Weight Gain
The Nutrients Your Adolescent Needs
Vitamins and Minerals: Via Nature or Supplement?
Nutrition Labels
Water
Vegetarian Teens
Breakfast, a Brilliant Idea
Health-Partnering for Nutrition

Health Basic #2: Exercise

An Epidemic of Obesity
Exercise Can Heighten the Joy of Living
At the Computer, Hours of Sitting Still
At School: More Sitting
Advocating for Improved Physical Education
Three Forms of Fitness
Health-Partnering for Exercise

Health Basic #3: Sleep

Adolescents' Sleep Needs
When Sleep Needs Are Not Met
Healthy Sleep Patterns
When High Schools Wake Up
Insomnia
Sleep Disorders Associated with Excessive Sleep
Health-Partnering for Sleep

Chapter 4 Common Health Problems of Girls and Boys

Illness in Context
The One Best Way to Prevent Illness

How and When to Wash Hands
Washing Hands in School
Washing Hands at Home

Body Odor and Other Hygiene Matters

Hygiene or Style?

Skin and Hair

Acne

How to Talk with an Adolescent About Acne
How Does Your Teen Deal with Having Acne?
How Can You Help? Ask Your Child
What to Do About Acne
How Can Acne be Treated?

Dry Skin

Tough Guys in Winter

Dermatitis

Contact Dermatitis
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Seborrheic Dermatitis

Suntans are "Skinjury"
Piercing and Tattoos
Hair Loss

Eyes

Vision Testing
Eye Ailments
Eye Care

Ears
Oral Health

Dental Caries
Bad Breath (Halitosis)
Gum Disease
Braces

Braces Pay Off, But You Might Have to Pay
Special Care Protects Braces
When Braces Come Off

The Basics of Oral Care

Helping Your Adolescent Stay Motivated

Respiratory Problems

Colds
Sinusitis and Otitis Media
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Flu

Meningitis
Infectious Mononucleosis
Gut Feelings

Constipation
Diarrhea
Persistent Symptoms and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Promoting Healthy Digestion

Enuresis and Encopresis

Bed-wetting (Enuresis)
Encopresis

Scoliosis

Diagnosing Scoliosis
Treatment

Back Pain
Headaches, Dizziness, Fatigue

Tension Headaches
Migraine Headaches
Dizziness
Fatigue
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 5 Health Issues for Your Daughter

The Puberty Experience for Girls

Tanner Stages for Girls, and Related Changes

Learning About the Female Body

Why Your Daughter Needs to Learn How Her Body Works
She Can See for Herself
External Genitalia
Internal Organs
Anatomical Differences Between Adolescent Girls and Women

The Menstrual Cycle: Preparation, Release, Renewal

Preparation
Release
Renewal
Some Things About Menstruation Your Daughter Should Know
Pad or Tampon?
Toxic Shock Syndrome and Safe Tampon Use

Menstrual Concerns and Disorders

Cranky and Crampy: Premenstrual Syndrome
Cramps and Dysmenorrhea (Painful Menstruation)

Primary Dysmenorrhea
Treatment of Menstrual Pain
Secondary Dysmenorrhea

Amenorrhea

Primary Amenorrhea
Secondary Amenorrhea

The Female Athlete Triad

She'll Feel It in Her Bones
Trapped in the Triad

Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding

Vaginal Hygiene and Health

Vaginal Discharge: Signs of Puberty and Ovulation
Vulvovaginitis

Bacterial Vaginitis
Yeast Infection
Gardnerella Vaginalis
Trichomoniasis

Urinary Tract (Bladder and Kidney) Infections

Common Infections -- Especially Among Women
Why Urinary Tract Infections Occur
Seek Help Promptly
How to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections or Recurrence

Breast Concerns and Disorders

Breast Self-Exam

Visual Inspection
Palpating (Feeling) the Breasts

Her First Gynecologic Exam
Body Image: Help Your Daughter Accept Herself
Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 6 Health Issues for Your Son

When Does Puberty Begin?

Tanner Stages for Boys, and Related Changes

How the Male Body Works

The Male Genitalia
Why the Scrotum Contracts and Relaxes
Two Perils of Tight Jeans
Explaining Erections
Wet Dreams
The Myth of "Blue Balls"
Retrograde Ejaculation
Hematospermia
The Role of Preseminal Fluid

Testicular Cancer and the Importance of Self-Exams

Testicular Self-Exam

Scrotal Disorders

Testicular Torsion

Warning Signs of Testicular Torsion

Epididymitis

Warning Signs of Epididymitis

Orchitis
Varicocele
Inguinal Hernia
Hydrocele
Spermatocele
Trauma

When to See a Doctor After Testicular Trauma

Cryptorchidism
Testicular Implant
Underdeveloped Testicles

Penile Hygiene and Disease Prevention

Cleaning Under the Foreskin
Phimosis and Paraphimosis
Balanitis

Symptoms of Balanitis

Tinea Cruris ("Jock Itch")

Penile Disorders

Pink Pearly Papules
Hypospadias and Epispadias
Priapism
Impotence
Urethritis

Symptoms of Urethritis

Gynecomastia
Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 7 Coping with Chronic Health Problems

Chronic Health Problems Differ
Health Coping Skills

Adolescent Task #1: To Gain Independence

Levels of Help from a Medical Support Team
Support Groups and Mentors
Baby Steps Add Up
The Urge to Rebel
Independence of Mind

Adolescent Task #2: To Clarify Sexual Identity

An Unseen Disease
The Naked Truth
Visibly Different
Mature Body, Childlike Mind

Adolescent Task #3: To Explore Societal Role and Self-Image

Just Another Set of Habits
Accommodations and Alternatives
Translating Disability into Passion

In the Shadows: Depression and Unsafe Behaviors

Depression
Substance Abuse
Risk-Taking Sexual Behavior
Poor Compliance with Health Care
Family Stress

Exploring the Possible

"UnpredictAbility"

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents
Arthritis
Asthma
Cancer
Diabetes Mellitus
Epilepsy (Seizure Disorders)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Chapter 8 Risks and Realities of Teen Sexuality

A Sexualized Culture
The Importance of Parents' Voices
Sexuality: An Integral Part of Life
Adolescents' Sexuality Issues

Gender Identity

A Parent's Perspective

Sexuality and Decision Making

A Parent's Perspective
Forming Healthy Relationships
Timing
Staying Busy
Living a Well-Rounded Life

Masturbation

A Parent's Perspective

Sexual Limit Setting

A Parent's Perspective

Sexual Orientation

A Parent's Perspective

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

A Parent's Perspective
STD Symptoms
Some Sexually Transmitted Diseases Your Teen Must Know About

Condoms

Correct Condom Use
Words That Keep You Safer

Contraception

A Parent's Perspective
The Most Common Contraceptive Choices for Adolescents

The Morning-After Pill/Emergency Contraception
If Pregnancy Occurs

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 9 No Teen Is Immune: Substance Use and Abuse

Why Adolescents Use
Talking with Teens About Abstaining

Connected Adolescents Abstain or Wait
Not Everyone Is Using
Abstinence versus "Harm Reduction"

Tobacco

Cigarettes as Social Accessory
Effects of Smoking, Now and Later
Bidis, Cigars, and Smokeless Tobacco Are Risky, Too
Quitting the Tobacco Habit
How Parents Can Help
Tobacco as a Gateway Drug

Alcohol

Alcohol and Health
Legal and Lethal: Drinking and Driving
You Don't Have to Stumble
Help for the Adolescent Problem Drinker

Illicit Drugs

Marijuana

Help for the Adolescent Marijuana Smoker

Inhalants

Help for the Adolescent Inhalant User

Stimulants

Amphetamines
Cocaine
Help for the Adolescent User of Stimulants

Hallucinogens and Club Drugs

Ecstasy
Rohypnol
GHB
Ketamine
LSD
Help for the Adolescent User of Hallucinogens

Opiates

Help for the Adolescent User of Opiates

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids

Help for the Adolescent User of Steroids

Signs of Drug and Alcohol Use
Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 10 Panic at the Mirror: Teens and Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders and the Hazards of Thinness

The Runaway Body
Rich Fashion Models, Poor Role Models
The Lost Aesthetic of Body Diversity
Family and Peer Pressures
Peers and Community Play a Role

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa: Both Defining and Threatening Life
Diagnosing Anorexia Nervosa
Health Risks of Anorexia Nervosa
Laboratory Tests
Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa
Through Treatment, a New Direction

Bulimia Nervosa

Hidden Rituals
Diagnosing Bulimia Nervosa
Health Risks
Treatment

Binge-Eating Disorder
Eating Disorders "Not Otherwise Specified"

Overeating to Obesity

Obesity as a Social Hardship
Is It "Baby Fat" or Obesity?
Diets Are a Detour
Reveal Remedies by Identifying the Causes
A Weight-Loss Coach
Reshaping Habits
A Parent's Words
Setting Realistic Goals

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 11 Your Teen's Mental Health

The First Step: Seeing Mental Health in Context
Common Family Stresses

Illness or Death of a Family Member
Parents' Unemployment or Financial Problems
Abusive or Substance-Abusing Parents
Parental Conflict, Separation, or Divorce

Common School Stresses

Overwhelming Academic Demands
Problems with Peers
School Phobia

Common Stresses with Peers

Loneliness
Peer Pressure
Teasing and Bullying
Heartache
Dating Abuse

Therapies and Therapists

When Adolescents Resist Therapy

Learning Disabilities and Attentional Disorders

Learning Disabilities
Attention Deficit Disorder
Advocating for Your Child at School

Mental Illness in Adolescents

Mood Disorders

Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Suicide
Self-Injury

Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Schizophrenia

Seeking Help

Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Chapter 12 Preventing Accidents and Injuries

An Urgent Need for Prevention
Conveying the Safety Message
Evading Emergencies

Six E's for Effective Communication with Your Teen

Preventing Sports Injuries

First Step: Get Your Doctor's Go-Ahead
Check Out the Game, Gear, and Clothes
Warm Up and Cool Down
Stay Cool
Avoid Steroids and Other Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Safety on the Job
Driving Safety

Hell on Wheels
Learning to Drive
Auto Attitude

Steps for Keeping Your Young Driver Safe

How to Be a Healthy Driver
Car Care and Emergency Preparedness
Family Driving Rules

Violence and Adolescent Life

Seeds of Violence
Protecting Teens

Coping with Injury
Health-Partnering Tips for Parents

Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Books for Teens (and Their Parents)
Resources
Hot Lines and Related Websites
Index

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

Introduction

We chose the titleHealthy Teens, Body and Soulbecause we feel optimistic and upbeat about adolescence as a time of great energy, resilience, and potential. Yet many health professionals, educators, and above all parents anticipate adolescence with trepidation, fearful that communication and camaraderie, contentment and safety will be difficult to sustain. Indeed, for some adolescents, the teen years are fraught with high levels of stress, unhealthy behaviors, and a decline in overall well-being. But for the great majority of young people, adolescence is a stage of remarkable positive growth in both body and soul.

In a mere ten flash-by years our young children become adults. Through their teen years they must build the knowledge and wisdom and strength to face the world independently. We believe that there are many significant ways their parents can help them thrive. We challenge the cliché that adolescence is a time when teens and parents inevitably must part company -- going their separate, even antagonistic, ways. The parent-child relationship certainlychanges,but teens still want and need their parents' love and involvement. Indeed, adolescents who feel connected to their families and their schools participate in fewer health risk behaviors and feel happier and more secure.

OUR EXPERIENCES HAVE TAUGHT US

Each of us brings to this book both a professional and a personal perspective.

Andrea Marks:As a doctor specializing in adolescent medicine for the past thirty years, directing hospital-based academic programs and in private practice, and the mother of daughters, now ages 18 and 20, I spend a great deal of time talking with teens. I have learned from listening to my patients and my own children how vital to them are the adults, especially parents, in their lives. While fully respecting adolescent patients' rights to privacy and confidentiality, I welcome their parents' involvement in their care. I have learned that it is far easier for parents to step back and let their children relate independently with me when they feel recognized, not marginalized. In fact, most adolescents are relieved and pleased that their parents get to know me. Maintaining that delicate balance between moving in and moving out is the art of adolescent medicine and the art of adolescent parenting. Mutual respect and trust among the members of the "health care team" -- the teen, the doctor, the parent -- are key to a successful outcome.

Betty Rothbart:As the mother of a daughter, 20, and a son, 16, and with more than twenty-five years' experience as a psychiatric social worker, educator, consultant to health organizations, and author of books on health and parenting, I have had various windows into adolescents' health needs, as well as their family, peer, and school experiences. Whether counseling teenage girls in a group home, training teachers in health and sexuality education, or teaching parent-adolescent communication workshops, time and again I have found a common thread. Adolescents yearn to be close with their parents (even though they might not show it), and parents want to be close with their adolescents (even though they aren't confident that they understand their children's world). The push-pull of adolescent-parent relationships is nothing new, of course. But in our fast-changing world, complicated by forces as varied as technological advances and terrorist threats, I observe that the role of parents as a stable source of love and guidance is more important than ever.

A HEALTH-PARTNERING APPROACH

Healthy Teens, Body and Soulgives you the facts about adolescent health, along with strategies for communicating with your teen. Our goal is to promote adolescent health, family closeness, and support during and beyond the teen years.

Parents can most successfully influence their adolescents' health by becoming theirhealth partners.This means that over the course of adolescence, parents adapt their guidance and level of involvement to reflect and respond to their adolescents' evolving maturity and desire for independence. Throughout the book, you will find health-partnering tips that suggest large and small ways to support your adolescents' health and deliver or reinforce health messages.

How do adolescents grow and change? Chapter 1, "The Stages and Tasks of Adolescent Development," shows how their development can be understood as a series of three stages: early, middle, and late adolescence. At each stage, they grapple with the three tasks of adolescence: to gain independence, to clarify sexual identity, and to explore their self-image and their role in society. This chapter presents some fundamental ways that you can strengthen your relationship and communication throughout the adolescent years.

Chapter 2, "A Doctor of Their Own," introduces a key member of your adolescent's support team: a doctor or other health care provider who understands adolescents' needs. We discuss how to select the right doctor for your adolescent's ongoing care and what to expect from a health visit, especially the annual checkup.

Chapter 3, "The Basics: Nutrition, Exercise, and Sleep," addresses a crucial trio of core health practices that can support your adolescent's daily and long-term well-being.

In chapter 4, "Common Health Problems of Boys and Girls," we discuss a wide range of health problems of which all parents of adolescents should be aware. Chapter 5, "Health Issues for Your Daughter," and chapter 6, "Health Issues for Your Son," focus on gender-specific concerns.

Chapter 7, "Coping with Chronic Health Problems," addresses the coping skills needed by adolescents who do not have the luxury of taking their health for granted. Even as they must keep their special health needs in mind, these young people face the same tasks of adolescence as their peers.

Central concerns for all parents of adolescents are addressed in the next three chapters. Chapter 8, "Risks and Realities of Teen Sexuality," explores sexual health and decision making. In chapter 9, "No Teen Is Immune: Substance Use and Abuse," we discuss the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Chapter 10, "Panic at the Mirror: Teens and Eating Disorders," helps you understand the "disordered eating" that can lead to anorexia, bulimia, obesity, and binge-eating disorder.

Chapter 11, "Your Teen's Mental Health," covers a broad spectrum of concerns ranging from common stresses associated with family life, school, and peers, to mental illnesses and how to get help for your child.

We conclude with chapter 12, "Preventing Accidents and Injuries," on how to help keep your teen safe on the athletic field, at an after-school job, on the road, and elsewhere.

Appendices provide you with books to read, organizations to contact, hot lines to call, and websites to consult. There is also a list of health-related fiction and nonfiction books that your adolescent can enjoy reading, learning from, and sharing with friends. Read these books yourself, too, so you can talk about them with your child and perhaps increase your awareness of adolescent life.

TAKE CARE, TAKE PRIDE

As parents of adolescents ourselves, we know how much fun -- and how challenging -- the experience can be. Children are never predictable. We can never chart a course for their lives and expect that they'll follow our hopeful plans. Every child is unique; what works with one might fail miserably with another. To help a child succeed, we must tune in to the individuality of his or her temperament, abilities, and hurdles. We must empathically teach our children to take responsibility and problem-solve in ways that work for them. Figuring out each child's subtle needs is a vital skill that makes parenting more gratifying.

As our children mature, we continue to support them in making their own plans and shaping their own lives. We take pride in their accomplishments, competence, and growth. We must never forget that the health decisions adolescents make along the way will affect their futures as much as -- perhaps even more than -- the other choices they make.

Excerpted from Healthy Teens, Body and Soul: A Parent's Complete Guide by Andrea Marks, Betty Rothbart
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.