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Boys and girls go through major changes at puberty, the time when
your body grows most rapidly and you develop into an adult. The sexual
organs mature and pubic hair grows around them. Girls develop breasts
and have their first menstrual periods. Boys become more muscular,
grow hair on their faces and their voices get deeper.
But the changes aren't only physical. Your attitude to those around
you shifts too. You might find your parents irritating and out of
touch. They might see you as unreasonable. It is often a time of conflict.
Teenage growth and development
Puberty is triggered when your body starts to produce and release
hormones. For boys this happens any time between the ages of 11 and
15, for girls a little earlier, usually between nine and 13. Everyone
follows their own inner clock, so the chances are that you will start
puberty earlier or later than your friends.
Height and weight usually increase rapidly before slowing and finally
stopping around the age of 18. But it's not always like that. Sometimes
you grow more gradually. Either way, most teenagers grow around 10ins
during puberty.
Growth problems
As everyone develops at a different rate, it can be unsettling to
find yourself suddenly towering over your friends, or dwarfed by them.
Girls can worry if they're the last in their class to start their
periods, and boys may feel odd if they're the only ones shaving before
school.
The likelihood is that you are developing fine, and at your own pace.
Still, there are certain specific conditions worth knowing about.
Some girls experience differential development, when one breast develops
faster than the other. This can be alarming but usually both breasts
even out over time. Boys sometimes develop breast tissue too, known
as gynecomastia, but it tends to vanish on its own within a few months.
Precocious puberty and delayed puberty are when, respectively, puberty
occurs much earlier or later than for your friends.
Where to get help
If you're anxious for any reason about the way you are growing you
can put your mind at rest to see your doctor. He or she might want
to measure your height about every six months to see how fast you're
growing. They will also examine patterns in your family. It might
be that you have inherited short stature from your parents or are
experiencing delayed growth - called 'constitutional growth delay'
- like other relatives.
Treatments
Extra vitamins or special diets won't make you grow any faster or
taller. But sometimes doctors give hormone treatments to boys with
constitutional growth delay. These can boost growth and development
temporarily until you start producing hormones yourself. This should
never be contemplated without a detailed discussion with a
specialist in the subject.
Sometimes the pituitary gland (a small gland at the base of the brain
that makes and releases several hormones) can't make enough growth
hormone. Daily shots of growth hormone usually work here (the advice
above applies).
Some girls develop Turner syndrome, which stops them from developing
sexually on their own. Growth hormone and oestrogen, another hormone,
can help teenage girls in this case.
Growing naturally
The best way to grow normally is to look after yourself properly.
That means a good diet, and getting enough sleep and exercise.
Link to:
Puberty - a survival
guide for girls
Puberty - a survival
guide for guys
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