Going through adolescence is never easy as growing teenagers undergo a transitional phase of physical and psychological development that can be overwhelming. As a parent, you can help them overcome these challenges by arming yourself with facts about common teen health problems and remedies to help you and your child navigate the stormy waters of adolescence seamlessly.
To help you out, here are five common ‘growing pains’ that teenagers go through and how you can help them deal with it to let them grow and develop to their full potential.
Teeth Problems
Teeth problems are a significant concern among teenagers, as most of them emerge during childhood or infant years. For instance, a teen may develop an underbite due to excessive thumb sucking during infancy, an overbite due to nail-biting, or natural gapped teeth. Fortunately, parents can help their children fix these teeth issues with the proper braces.
Pimples or Acne
Contrary to popular belief, acne isn’t caused by dirty skin. Instead, it’s the result of overactive oil glands in the skin leading to the buildup of oil, bacteria, and dead skin, inflaming pores. Oil glands get stimulated more when hormones become active during adolescence, that’s why a person’s more likely to get pimples in their teenage years.
You can help your child overcome this by encouraging them to wash their face every other day to remove excess surface oils and dead skin that can clog their pores.
Body Odor
Body odor is the earliest sign of puberty. When teens enter adolescence, they tend to excrete more sweat, and not just salty water, but oil. That’s because their sweat glands become more active, producing more sweat, and when it gets broken down by bacteria, it results in an unpleasant odor.
Although body odor will stabilize by the end of puberty, it’s best to help your child find a way to cut it down a bit. You can do this by encouraging them to shower daily using antibacterial soap, use deodorant, and use cotton shirts rather than synthetic ones to reduce the amount of sweat they produce.
Eye Issues
Although many people know that growth spurts and acne are expected throughout adolescence, most aren’t aware that the eyes also change during puberty. These changes can result from numerous factors, including excessive gadget use, or participating in contact sports.
Although eyeglasses are a fast remedy for this, you should consider letting your child use contact lenses instead because it’s safer for teenagers. That’s because unlike eyeglasses, they’re unlikely to get damaged while playing sports, and they’re more comfortable to wear.
Mental Health
Depression and anxiety are among the most common causes of adolescents getting sick or developing suicidal tendencies, with depression being the second leading cause of death in teens. It’s an unseen force that’s taking its toll on young people, and as a parent, you can prevent all these from happening by supporting them through their emotional development.
You can achieve this by establishing an ‘open’ environment in your home where they can share their thoughts without being criticized and let them know they’re not alone.
Adolescence is one of the most daunting phases in life for both parents and the teen. But as a parent, you can help your teenager overcome the challenges that go with it, helping them reach their full potential and thrive.
