Adolescence, with its simplest definition, is the transition period from childhood to adulthood. The characteristics acquired in this process determine what kind of an adult the individual will become. During this period, both physical and sexual and psychological changes and development are observed. Although some age restrictions have been tried to be introduced for the adolescence period, it is very difficult to separate the period with the exact age. This period has its own peculiarities. Anemia, goiter, childhood diabetes, some bone tumors, orthopedic problems are observed more frequently than in other periods of life.
How to Tell When Boys Have Entered Puberty?
The first sign of puberty in boys is the enlargement of the testicles. The average age is considered to be 12. When the testicular volume reaches 4 ml when measured with an instrument called "orchidometer" in pediatric endocrine outpatient clinics, it suggests that testosterone secretion has begun and puberty has entered. As the testicles begin to grow, the skin of the sac (scrotum) thickens and begins to redden. Hair growth in the genital area can occur up to 6 months after testicular enlargement, or it can start simultaneously. Only the appearance of hair in the genital area does not indicate that puberty has entered. For a boy to enter puberty, the testicles must grow. The growth of testicles continues for 3-5 years. Adult testicles are 20 ml in volume. Hair in the genital area also increases over the years and may spread between the legs. Underarm hair growth starts approximately 2 years after the genital hair growth and usually appears between 14-15 years of age. Facial hair growth occurs even later. By the time a boy has to shave every day, he's usually a full grown man.
What Changes in Boys' Sexual Organs?
Penis growth is at its peak in mid-adolescence. It is usually observed in the 13.5-14 age group. When the penis is stretched and measured with a ruler while it is relaxed, it is 6.2 cm on average before puberty. The penis size reaches an average of 13.2 cm in adults. If the penis is short, many endocrinological diseases that cause short penile length should be reviewed and it should be determined that they are not present in the child. penis b prolongation of the game occurs with the effect of testosterone on the receptors in the penis.
Sperm production in boys begins between the ages of 12-15. “Ejaculation”, in other words ejaculation, usually occurs during masturbation around the age of 13.5 years. It then continues into sleep. Up to 7 times increase is observed in the internal genital organs such as the prostate and secretory ducts in men during puberty.
Breast Growth in Adolescence Causes in Boys?
We call breast enlargement in male adolescents as gynecomastia. It is found in around 40 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 16. It was most commonly detected at the age of 14 with a rate of 65 percent. Pubertal gynecomastia resolves spontaneously within 2 years in 75 percent of cases and within 3 years in 90 percent of cases. The permanent rate is less than 10 percent. This is due to the increased sensitivity and enlargement of breast tissue to low estrogen levels in boys. It is more common in obese people. Adolescents are advised to lose weight, some drugs can be used to prevent and reduce breast enlargement. In cases that cause great psychological distress, adipose tissue can be removed by plastic surgery in late adolescence as a last resort. In addition, some chronic diseases such as certain drugs, brain tumors, liver disease can cause gynecomastia. These situations should be distinguished from puberty gynecomastia.
What Kind of Changes Happen in Body Structure During Adolescence?
Significant changes occur in body structure (composition) during adolescence. Body composition can be considered in three main parts.
Deepening of the voice in adolescence is seen in male adolescents. Generally, around the age of 13, the voice begins to change. Concomitantly, dandruff may begin to form on the oily scalp. This is due to the increased level of testosterone hormone. The testosterone hormone, which is secreted only at night during adolescence, begins to be secreted both at night and during the day towards the middle of adolescence. With the effect of testosterone hormone, the blood level of which rises, thickening occurs in the vocal cords, lubrication on the skin increases.
Is Excessive Sweating and Sweat Smell Normal During Adolescence?
Before puberty begins, at the age of 6-8 on average, kidney Hormones with weak androgenic effect are secreted from the adrenal gland. These hormones are not as potent as testosterone. However, they cause an increase in the number and volume of sweat and sebaceous glands under the skin, especially in the armpits. Sweating increases and it has a specific odor.
These hormones can lead to the development of a small number of acne on the forehead, sometimes on the nose and on the chest. These pimples will go away on their own if they are not infected. For this reason, children's habits about facial and body cleaning are very important.
Is Prepubertal Hair Growth Normal?
In some children, at the age of 6-8 years, weak androgen-effective hormones secreted from the adrenal glands Because of this, hair growth can be seen in the genital area and even under the armpits. These are weak, fine hairs and families need not be afraid. In puberty-related pubescence (testosterone-induced pubescence), the characteristics of the feathers are different. These feathers are thick, curled and stiff. If hair growth is seen in other parts of the body, such as the genital area or armpits, at an early age, a specialist should be consulted. A pediatric endocrinologist should investigate disease states that may cause this situation, and necessary hormone examinations should be performed.
What are the Symptoms of Puberty in Girls?
Girls enter puberty 2 years earlier than boys. The average age is considered to be 10–11. Parents often think that puberty begins with the first menstruation. This is not true. Puberty is completed when the girl begins to menstruate. The onset of puberty, m in girls budding and the start of growth. Breast enlargement sometimes starts unilaterally, the other breast accompanies it later. But usually both breasts start growing together. Along with breast budding, there may also be pain in the breasts. Breasts continue to grow during puberty. The nipple and nipple (red-brown area) also enlarge. Adult breast size is reached in 3-5 years. Breast size is more related to genetics. Among the people, it is thought that "children with smaller breasts than their peers have low hormone levels". This belief is wrong. It may be the case that other family members, especially the mothers of these children, have small breasts. When weight is gained, the breast enlarges because the fat tissue increases. A further increase in breast growth is observed at birth. Hair growth in the genital area increases during adolescence, develops in girls as an inverted triangle and slightly spreads between the legs. Underarm hair growth usually occurs 1-2 years after the onset of breast development, at an average of 12-13 years of age. In some children, it can start at an earlier age. It is a rare condition that armpit hair growth starts before genital hair growth.
Why Changes in Girls Intensify in the Genital Area?
Changes that occur in the genitals in girls during puberty occur with the effect of estrogen. Fat accumulates in the genital area, the vagina lengthens, and the hymen thickens. The glycogen content of the cells in the vagina increases. This leads to the frequent occurrence of fungal infections in young girls. In the months before the first period (menarche), a clear or slightly white sticky vaginal discharge begins. During puberty, the size of the uterus (womb) also increases and its shape changes. Uterine length less than 3 cm before puberty exceeds 5 cm. The ovaries expand and their volume reaches from 1-2 ml to 3-10 ml. The number of eggs in the ovaries reaches 6-7 million, this value is the highest number of eggs a woman has in her lifetime. Usually, most of the periods after the first menstruation occur without the release of eggs from the ovaries (anovulatory). This is case 1, It may take 5-2 years. Then, over time, the menstruation becomes regular. It is known that most of the young girls (more than 90%) have regular menstrual cycles within 5 years after the first menstruation.
What Kind of Changes Happen in Body Structure in Adolescence?
During Adolescence significant changes occur in body structure (composition). Body composition can be considered in three main parts.
How Should Body Cleansing and Aesthetic Care Be Taken in Adolescence?
The number and size of sweat glands in adolescents As a result of their increase in volume, the smell of sweat sometimes reaches disturbing levels. A teenager's personal cleaning must now be done by himself. Washing hands after using the toilet and before touching food should become a habit. Washing the face with soap and water every morning, and taking a bath according to the work done every day is another cleaning practice.
Many diseases are prevented by cleaning the body. Colds, hepatitis, diarrheal diseases, fungal diseases of the skin, microbial diseases of the skin, parasitic diseases are some of them. As a result of the increase in the number and volume of sweat glands in adolescents, the smell of sweat sometimes reaches disturbing levels. The source of sweat odor is the breakdown of sweat by microbes (bacteria) on the body surface. Feature
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