Teen Health Issues|Just another WordPress weblog

Kava Kava is a member of the pepper family “Piperaceae”. It is an all natural root extract that is generally consumed as a herbal supplement or drink.

What is Kava tea?
The root of the kava plant is ground into a powder, mixed with water and consumed as a beverage.

Kava beverages is a popular social drink in the South Pacific region. Now, kava bars are springing up in the United States offering a variety of kava teas, juices and coffees.

Kava tea has many therapeutic uses:

• Kava tea is a powerful herbal antispasmodic especially useful for relieving nervous tension.
• Kava Kava is an anti-anxiety herb that almost instantly dissipates effects of many fears and apprehensions.
• It is an effective diuretic with anti-pathogenic properties.
• Kava tea is a carminative that improves appetite and digestion.

Kava Kava is also be used to treat rheumatism, asthma, worms, obesity, headaches, fungal infections, gonorrhea, vaginal infections, urinary infections, menstrual problems, migraine headaches, and insomnia.
Mild side effects of Kava tea include:

Numbing of the mouth, unpleasant taste, nausea, headache, drowsiness, and dizziness. Excessive consumption over a period of several weeks or months causes a temporary yellowing of the skin, hair and nails, red eyes, gastrointestinal complaints, loss of appetite, breathing problems and dry and peeling skin. These side effects were relieved upon discontinuation of the drink.

It isn’t known if kava tea – which contain a less concentrated form of the herb – carries a risk of liver failure. The concern about liver damage mainly involves kava in its concentrated supplement form. So, don’t make it an addiction.

What are the harmful effects of kava tea?

• Drinking too much kava tea can cause intoxication and impair your ability to drive.
• Signs and symptoms of intoxication include drowsiness, blurred vision and muscle weakness.
• Also, mixing alcohol with kava can increase these effects.
• One side-effect connected to the heavy consumption of kava is that of kava dermopathy – a scaly eruption of the skin. This goes away if use is stopped and is quite harmless.

Teens should avoid consumption of kava tea, unless for medicinal purposes:

Not for use by persons under 18 years of age.

Moderate consumption of kava tea does not appear to be particularly harmful, but over-use or habitual use of kava can lead to side effects as indolence, weakness, leg paralysis, and a scaly skin rash, which is said to be reversible when kava consumption is discontinued–as long as the consumption has not been very high over a prolonged period.

Warning:

• Consult a health professional before drinking kava tea if you have liver problems, frequently use alcoholic beverages, or taking any other medication.
• Not for use with alcoholic beverages. Excessive use, or use with products that cause drowsiness, may impair your ability to drive a vehicle.
• Kava tea should not be taken on a daily basis. Take frequent breaks from use. Short term side effect with high doses include disorientation and ataxia (loss of balance while walking).

Alcohol poisoning is an extreme form of physical reaction to an overdose of alcohol or binge drinking. After the victim stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body.

Alcohol poisoning is deadly; alcohol flows up to the brain, depriving it of oxygen. The brain, struggling to deal with the overdose of alcohol and lack of oxygen, begins to gradually shut down the voluntary vital functions that regulate breathing and heart rate. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions.

When large amounts of alcohol is consumed in a short period, alcohol poisoning can result.

Why are teens more prone to alcohol poisoning?

• Teenagers are still immature to set limits to the amount of alcohol their body can take. By the time they stop, deadly amounts have been consumed.
• Rapid binge drinking (which often happens on a bet) is especially popular among teenagers. They can easily can ingest a fatal dose before becoming unconscious.
• Family tensions, relationship break-ups make them vulnerable to drinking excessive amounts at one go, rather than handling such situations in a more mature way.
• Wrong company of friends, ‘just trying once’ concept – teens get easily trapped in such situations without knowing the dire consequences.
• At times, teens try to emulate what they see on television – the sexy, macho image of an adult heavily into alcohol drinking. They falsely think that alcohol creates that macho built.

What are the signs you should look for alcohol poisoning:

• Person is known to have consumed large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time.
• Person is unconscious and cannot be awakened. No response to pinching the skin.
• Person has cold, unusually pale or bluish skin.
• Vomiting while sleeping.
• Breathing is slow or irregular.

As a result, what can be the repercussions:

• Victim chokes to death on own vomit.
• Breathing slows, becomes irregular, stops
• Heart beats irregularly or stops
• Hypothermia (low body temperature) leads to cardiac arrest
• Hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar) leads to seizures

Even if the victim lives, alcohol poisoning can lead to irreversible brain damage.

If you are a teen, what is your responsibility to reduce such mishaps:

• Refuse to take part or host underage drinking parties.
• Try to be a role model for your friend who you know is heavily into binge drinking.
• Learn the danger signals – seek help as soon as you see a victim of alcohol poisoning.
• Do not wait for all symptoms to be present.

Underage alcohol consumption is one of the most grappling problems among teenagers, and it can have serious, often lifelong consequences for them, their families and their communities. Apart from being illegal, underage drinking poses a high risk to both the individual and society. For example, the rate of alcohol-related accidents is greater for age group 16 to 20 than for 21 and above. Adolescents also are vulnerable to alcohol induced brain damage, which could contribute to poor performance at school.

In addition, teen drinking is associated with an increased likelihood of developing alcohol dependence later in life. Early intervention is essential to prevent the development of serious alcohol problems in later stages of life..

Why do teens take to alcohol?

• The popularity of binge drinking among teens. Binge drinking is defined as when a guy drinks five or more alcoholic beverages in a row
• Sometimes it’s a form of rebellion, the ‘I don’t care attitude’
• Maybe they just want to associate themselves with a particular group of friends, or start boozing under peer pressure.
• Some teenagers see drinking as part of their identity. They think alcohol makes them more macho, sexy, independent or grown-up.
• Since alcohol blocks emotional pain, it is frequently resorted to as a “cover up” during times of ongoing stress such as that experienced with the loss of a loved one, family conflicts.
• Psychological factors – Low self-esteem and depression make one vulnerable to excessive drinking and alcoholism.

Alcohol and Teens: why should they be kept apart?

Physical effects of alcohol -
Since most teenagers are not fully grown, the effects of alcohol on them happens more quickly and seriously than with full-grown adults.

The expected physical effects of alcohol are:

• Reduced or increased blood flow, dehydration
• Impairment of thoughts
• Extreme emotional reactions and hyper-excitement
• Inadequate muscle coordination; and
• Slowed or altered speech.

When consumed over long periods of time or in extreme doses, alcohol can severely affect an individual, causing brain and/or liver damage, coma or even death.

Other effects:

• Non-consequential thinking and related activities
• Drunk driving – Teens may be more prone to drive while intoxicated due to a lack of understanding of the consequences This can result in bodily harm through accidents.
• Physical or emotional abuse of others
• Unplanned sexual relations or sexual assault in many cases

What parents must do to help their child:
Family factors, such as parent-child relationships, discipline methods, communication, monitoring and supervision, and parental involvement exert a significant influence on teen alcohol use/abuse.

• Talk to your child: Talk with your teenager child about the dangers of drinking. Discuss the side effects of even one drink
• Strike a deal, drinking should not be discrete – There is a chance your child will drink at some point before he or she is 21 years old. Reassure your child that if he does drink, you will not be angry, but he must reveal it.
• Discuss the dangers of drinking and driving – Tell your child to never drink and drive. In fact, if found drinking and driving, take away his license.
• Be a role model – quit drinking if you yourself are addicted to it.

Parents are the best help available to keep/make their kids alcohol free.

Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence leads to significant health problems, including cough and phlegm production, an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness, high cholesterol and very often lung cancer. Things become worse when an addiction forms, which often continues into adulthood.

Why do teens take up smoking?
Most teenagers don’t know why they took to smoking. However, adolescents turn to tobacco for a variety of reasons:

• Sometimes it’s a form of rebellion, the ‘I don’t care attitude’,
• Maybe they just want to associate themselves with a particular group of friends, or start puffing under peer pressure.
• They may believe cigarettes will improve their concentration or help them lose weight.
• Low self – esteem.
• A parent or close relative smokes.
• Some teenagers see smoking as part of their identity. They think smoking may turn them more macho, independent.

Do not make the mistake of using smoking as a form of rebellion! You will only be at a loss:

Teenagers crave to be adults, to take their place in society and to be a full adult member. They take smoking as an adult activity. The reason teens smoke to be more adult is because rebelling is the sign of being an adult. Parents tell children not to smoke. Teenagers smoke to prove to their parents they have the authority to make their own choices.

A better way out is to teach them make good choices, let teens make their own choices and bear the consequences of their own mistakes.

Once taken a first puff, there is never a last puff !

• Cigarettes contain Nicotine which is extremely addictive in nature. Nicotine increases the release of a number of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), which are associated with pleasure, a feeling of euphoria, appetite suppression and relaxation.
• Most adolescents believe they can quit smoking anytime they want. But they become just as addicted to nicotine as adults do. In fact, adolescents become addicted at relatively low doses of nicotine. A teenager who smokes just one cigarette a day may have withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit.

Role of Parents!

• Talk about health consequences and the cost
  Lecturing or warning about the evils of tobacco does more harm than good. A better approach is to focus on problems that cigarettes may be causing them presently -
  • Chronic coughing
  • Reduced stamina
  • Bad breath

  Another factor is the expense. The cost of a pack of cigarettes a day would buy two movie tickets or a pizza. Which is a better option?

• Be a good model yourself
  If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do to help keep your children off cigarettes.
  If you can’t, do the next best thing:
  • Don’t smoke in your children’s presence.
  • Avoid smoking in the house or car.
  • Don’t offer cigarettes to your children.
• Counter the smoking charisma
To counteract the glamourized image of cigarette smoking in advertisements and movies, show how smoking has affected the health of your relatives and friends. Show them that all ads carry a statutory warning about the ill effects of smoking.

Since smoking is highly addictive, ask yourself – ‘What do I want to become in life – a smoker?’

Tobacco – another word for smokeless cigarettes is not harmless. The fact is, chewing tobacco is as dangerous as smoking it. The three most dangerous byproducts of tobacco are nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide.

Some true facts about teens and tobacco:

• Most teens start on tobacco before they finish school.
• Most teens who smoke are addicted to nicotine. They want to quit smoking, but they can’t as they experience withdrawal symptoms.
• Tobacco is often the first addiction of teens who later on use alcohol and illegal drugs.

If we can prevent our young teens from ever starting a tobacco habit, we will see a tremendous reduction in the number of adults who are hooked. The vast majority of current adult smokers began smoking before the age of 20.

Detrimental effects of tobacco chewing:
Tobacco is toxic to our body. It causes health problems and early deaths.

Tobacco is addictive. This means that once you start using it, your body requires it. The longer you use tobacco, and the more you use, the harder it is to stop. Everyone who smokes started by “just once”

• Chewing tobacco can cause sores and white/red patches in your mouth.
• It can also cause cancers of the mouth, gums, tongue, cheek, and throat. On average, only half of the people with these types of cancers survive more than five years.
• Chewing can give you bad breath, discolour your teeth and cause tooth loss.
• You can get a myriad of cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, cardiac ischemia (not getting enough blood to the heart), heart attack and thrombosis (blood clots within the blood vessels).

Then, what is the way out? Can I quit?
Quitting at the earliest stage is best. There are many reasons to quit tobacco for good. In addition to the health reasons mentioned above, take a look at these also:

• Chewing tobacco carries a heavy social stigma, especially with the opposite sex, your girlfriend! Bad breath, gum disease, and discoloured teeth are very unappealing.
• Tobacco chewing can be expensive. The money you save after quitting can be enormous, you will be surprised.
• Teenage years are the healthiest years of your life. Why destroy the foundation years of good health by putting something in your mouth that will later ruin your life? And if you do have a chronic condition like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, using tobacco can make your health even worse.
• You can, by quitting be a role model for many addicted teens……and change their lives.

Look around you….if you see tobacco addicts, then there are more number of teens who are not addicted to this silent killer. Which group do you belong to?

Chewing Tobacco in Teens
Tobacco which is another word for smokeless cigarettes is not harmless. According to facts, chewing tobacco is as dangerous as smoking is. The three most dangerous by products of tobacco are nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. There are some stratling facts about teens and their use of tobacco.
Teens and Smoking

Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence can lead to many health problems, including cough and phlegm production, an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness, high cholesterol and very often lung cancer. Things become worse when an addiction forms, which often continues into adulthood.

Why do teens take up smoking?
Most teenagers donot know why they smoke. However, some of the common reasons to turn to tobacco is for a variety of reasons. Teenagers Smoke as a form of rebellion, the ‘I don’t care attitude’,. They somoke because they just want to associate themselves with a particular friends group or just sinply because of peer pressure.

Alcohol Consumption in Teens
Underage alcohol consumption is one of the most grave problems among teenagers, and it can have serious, often lifelong consequences for them, their families and their communities. Apart from being illegal, underage drinking poses a high risk to both the individual and society. For example, the rate of alcohol-related accidents is greater for age group 16 to 20 than for 21 and above. Adolescents also are vulnerable to alcohol induced brain damage, which can contribute to poor performance at school.

In addition, teen drinking is connected with an increased risk of developing alcohol dependence later in life. Early intervention is important to prevent the development of serious alcohol problems in the later stages of life.

Alcohol Poisoning in Teens
Alcohol poisoning is a form of extreme physical reaction to an overdose of alcohol or binge drinking. Even after the victim stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body.

Alcohol poisoning is lethal, alcohol flows up to the brain, depriving it of oxygen. The brain then struggles to deal with an overdose of alcohol and lack of oxygen. It starts to gradually shut down the voluntary vital functions that regulate breathing and the heart rate. A fatal dose of alcohol can eventually stop these functions. Alcohol poisoning can result when large amounts of alcohol is consumed in a short period.

Is Kava Tea Bad For Teens?
Kava is a member of the pepper family called “Piperaceae”. It is a natural root extract that is generally consumed as a herbal supplement or drink. The root of the kava plant is made into a powder, then mixed with water and consumed as a beverage.

Kava beverages are a popular social drink in the South Pacific region. Now there are many kava bars springing up in the United States offering a variety of kava teas, juices and coffees. Read on to know more on drugs and alcohol among teenagers.

When parents decide to live separately, it is a very traumatic situation for a child. How upset the child feels can vary depending on how their parents separated, the age of the child, how much he understands, and the support he gets from family and friends.

The most difficult question – How to tell the child?

It’s best if both parents tell the child about the divorce together. Make sure the children understand that you both still love them and will take care of them. Speak honestly and simply.

Many children have miconceptions about having to choose a parent or even having to go to court. So it is important that you both educate your children together about what to expect in the coming months and reassure them that you will always be a family, although not living together.

Listen to you children’s concerns. Encourage your children to talk so you can remove mis-perceptions.
What you as a parent must do to help your child?

Listen and Talk. Just listening to your children’s concerns and feelings is enough to provide them great relief – you don’t have to be a solver of all problems. Sometimes just listening is enough.

Good communication with your children is important. Explain as much as possible about the situation and provide them information about:

• Where they will stay.
• Where they will go to school.
• When they may see the other parent.

Parents must:

• Make sure that children know they still have two parents who love them, and will continue to care for them protect their children from adult responsibilities
• Make it clear that the responsibility for what is happening is the parents’. Children need to be reassured that the divorce was not their fault.
• Don’t speak negatively to your child about the other parent or extended family, or friends. Support the child’s love and relationship with the other parent. Children need continuous contact with both parents to increase their adjustment.
• Do not advocate, either with words or actions, that your child is disloyal if he enjoys time with the other parent.
• Children often feel “stuck in the middle” when they are expected to carry messages, make phone calls, or spy on the other parent. Don’t make children carry out these roles.
• Keep the routine the same in both homes regarding bedtimes, meals, visits with friends or relatives, and discipline. This reassures children they are being well cared for. Children need consistency and stability. This will help your child feel that, in spite of the difficulties, loved ones still care about them and that life can be reasonably normal.

If you and your spouse live happily separately, your children are also more likely to be happy. Be optimistic about a happy future for everyone – optimism is contagious. If you cope well with the changes, your children will likely follow your lead.

Many psychiatric drugs have not been satisfactorily tested in paediatric patients, and some drug combinations occasionally prescribed for children – particularly stimulants and antidepressants – have not been fully tested even in adults. So, we don’t know for sure the risks or the benefits of these medications.

Children’s bodies do not absorb drugs and eliminate toxins similarly as adult bodies, and their brains may get affected also. Depression and other conditions for which the drugs are prescribed may have long-lasting deadly effects on the psychological and social development of a kid.

Children with depression are more likely to have other health problems and engage in risky behaviour, such as promiscuity, smoking, drugs and alcohol. Risks of medicating and the risks of not medicating are greatest in the early years of life.

The thumb rule is caution in prescribing antidepressants to children. They should be neither a first nor a last resort. If given, anti-depressants should not be stopped abruptly, because it may lead to a withdrawal syndrome that includes dizziness, nausea, seizures and anxiety.

Side effects of anti-depressants:

Children can continue to take the drug if it seems to be helping, but they should be watched closely for side effects.

The side effects vary depending on the drug, but can include:

• Insomnia
• Sleepiness
• Increased anxiety
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrohea
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Weight gain or loss

Beware! Anti depressants can trigger off suicidal behaviour!

Signs that a child is at risk of suicidal behaviour while taking an antidepressant

The highest risk of suicidal thinking occurs during the first few months of treatment or when a medication dosage is increased or decreased.

Possible signs of worsening depression include:

• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Insomnia or other sleeping problems
• Hostility
• Unexplained declines in academic performance
• Withdrawing from relationships
• Spending more time alone

Suicide due to depression is the third leading cause of death among children between ages 10 to 19.

If your child is on anti-depressants, when should he discontinue?

This decision should be made on an individual basis with advise from doctor. Suddenly stopping medication can leave them without appropriate treatment and increases the risk of withdrawal-like symptoms. A doctor can help your child taper off medication to minimize withdrawal.

What is the alternative to antidepressant?

Warnings on anti-depressants don’t prohibit their use in children, nor are they meant to frighten people away from treating their children.

But if you’re not comfortable with antidepressants, counselling is an option. However, counselling (individual as well as family) alone may not be sufficient to effectively treat depression, especially in more severe cases. A combination of medication and psychotherapy offers the best treatment approach for youngsters down with depression.

Do you know?

Currently, Prozac (fluoxetine) is the only approved medicine to treat major depression in children and adolescents, while Prozac, Zoloft and Anafranil are approved for obsessive-compulsive disorder in paediatric patients. No other antidepressant drug is FDA approved for treatment of any psychiatric condition in children.

Earlier it was believed that only adults developed depression and that children and teens could not. We now know that even a young child can develop serious depression that requires treatment to improve. However, symptoms of depression in children and teens can be difficult to recognize.

What causes depression in kids?

Causes are still unknown, however it can be triggered by:

• Stressful life events, such as a loss of a family member or relative.
• Having a parent or immediate family member who is depressed.
• Having a long-term medical illness such as diabetes or epilepsy.
• Having another mental disorder, such as anxiety disorder.
• Being physically or sexually abused.
• Having problems with alcohol or drugs.
• Genetic (inherited). Children with a family history of depression are much more likely to become depressed, especially if they have a parent who is presently depressed.
• Being a girl in early puberty. After puberty and as adults, females are twice as likely as males to become depressed.
• Family conflicts, especially between parents.

How to diagnose depression in kids:

• Always tired, plays sick
• Drops out of favourite activities – social withdrawal
• Has more arguments with parents, friends and teachers
• Refuses to do homework or loses interest in school
• Engages in harmful behaviour, such as cutting himself or herself
• Has suicidal thoughts.
• Physical symptoms e.g., stomach aches and headaches, hallucinations, and extreme fears.

What happens, if left untreated?

Depression in children, if untreated, can affect:

• school performance and learning,
• social interactions and development of normal peer relationships,
• self-esteem and a child’s sense of bonding and trust,
• can lead to drug abuse, disruptive behaviours, violence and aggression,
• even lead to suicide

Childhood depression is a serious problem that demands a serious medical approach. However, you need to first recognize what is causing it.

How to treat depression in kids?

Treatment for childhood and teen depression includes a combination of professional counselling, medications, and family co-operation.

Home treatment and family involvement:

Do everything possible to provide a supportive and understanding family environment to your child. Love, understanding, and regular communication are some of the most important things you should provide to help your child cope with depression. Make him feel that you are there for him always.

Good lifestyle habits can help reduce your child’s symptoms of depression. Encourage your child to:

• * Get regular exercise, such as swimming, walking.
• * Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs.
• * Get enough sleep
• * Eat a balanced diet.
• * Be optimistic about feeling better. Positive thinking is very important in recovering from depression.

Some symptoms of depression in children and teens may remain, even with medication and other treatment. Early treatment of depression may bring about the best results for your child. Think positive, recovery will happen, but gradually.

Depression in Kids

Earlier it was believed that only adults developed depression and that children and teens could not. Now know that even a young child develops serious depression that requires treatment to improve. However, symptoms of depression in children and teens are difficult to recognize.

Causes of stress is unknown, however it can be triggered by: Stressful life events, such as a loss of a family member or relative. Having a parent or immediate family member who is depressed can also trigger it. Having a long-term medical illness such as diabetes or epilepsy.

Children And Antidepressants

Many psychiatric drugs have not been satisfactorily tested in paediatric patients, and some drug combinations are occasionally prescribed for children, especially stimulants and antidepressants that have not been fully tested even in adults. So, we cannot completely asses the risks or the benefits of these medications.

Children’s bodies do not absorb drugs and eliminate toxins similarly as adult bodies, and their brains may get affected also. Depression and other conditions for which the drugs are prescribed may have long-lasting deadly effects on the psychological and social development of a kid.

Helping Children to Cope With Parents Divorce

When the parents decide to live separately, it is a very traumatic situation for a child. How upset the child feels can vary depending on how their parents separated, the age of the child, how much he understands, and the support he gets from family and friends.

The most difficult question – How to tell the child?

It is best if both parents tell the child about the divorce together. Make sure the children understand that you both still love them and will still take care of them. Speak honestly and simply.

Many children have miconceptions about having to choose a parent or even having to go to court. So it is very important to educate your children together about what to expect in the coming months and reassure them that you will always be a family, although not living together.