The CDC reports that, over the past ten years, we have seen notable increases in several problematic medical symptoms and life experiences among high school students, including:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Poor mental health
- Experiences of violence
- Protective sexual behavior
Ensuring your teen’s health now can help you to prevent potential issues in the future. You need to stay on top of it, but do you know what this entails?
River Family Health offers comprehensive healthcare services that cater to teens, including physical and mental health screenings. Take advantage of this resource by learning about five recommended medical screenings for teens.
1. Immunization Updates
The best way to protect your teen from serious diseases like measles and meningitis is to ensure they remain up-to-date with immunizations. These can help to prevent outbreaks and, together with the rest of your child’s community, stop the spread of many other illnesses.
Make sure to discuss these crucial vaccinations with your doctor. They may be able to advise you on other immunizations you can request, including HPC and the meningococcal vaccine.
2. Mental Health Screening
Adolescence is a critical period for mental health, with one in seven suffering from a mental health problem, according to WHO. Issues like depression are common among teenagers and can often either stem from or lead to other issues that may need diagnosing before they escalate.
While it may sound dramatic, using tools like the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale not only determines if your child is at risk of self-harm but can help indicate when therapy may be helpful for lesser issues.
Adolescent medical checkups can help identify mental health issues earlier and enable intervention at a younger age.
3. Body Mass Index (BMI) Evaluation
BMI evaluations can help to identify potential weight-related health issues. The teen can then receive early treatment for issues such as obesity or malnourishment, which they may not know they are experiencing.
Health screenings for teens often include this non-invasive method for monitoring growth patterns. The results can often provide insight into other health development issues.
4. Adolescent Sexual Health Screening
These screenings may be embarrassing for teenagers. Still, even if they are not sexually active, it is often a good idea for them to get advice on family planning from a medical professional. Such discussions can be especially useful if conversations with a parent have not been fruitful.
Adolescents can also privately ask for screening tests for sexually transmitted infections during this time, preventing long-term health complications.
5. Blood Pressure Monitoring
High blood pressure in teenagers often signals that something bigger is a problem, especially if other symptoms occur. These may include kidney or liver issues or other problems you need to detect as soon as possible.
Regular monitoring can detect signs of hypertension early, for example, enabling your teen to take necessary lifestyle changes or even medical intervention if required.
Leverage the Recommended Medical Screenings for Teens
You can discuss many more of the recommended medical screenings for teens with your Boise doctor, including:
- Vision and hearing testing
- Blood tests
- Acne assessments
- Nutritional evaluations
Each test plays a vital role in safeguarding your child’s future well-being.
So, schedule an appointment with River Family Health to ensure your teen remains healthy. Call today to book a time and get the reassurance both you and them need.
