Changes During Puberty

3. Stages of Growth and Development
1. Infancy (from birth to 9 months)
2. Early childhood (1 to 3 years old)
3. Middle childhood (3 to 5 years old)
4. Late Childhood (5 to 12 years old)
5. Adolescence (12 to 20 years old)
6. Early Adulthood (20 to 30 years old)
7. Mature adulthood/Middle age (30 to 65 years old0
8. Old age (65 years old until death)

4. Adolescence
This period happens between puberty and adulthood stages.
Puberty- is a period when boys and girls begin to undergo the process
of sexual maturity.
Girls- puberty starts between 10 and 14 years old
Boys- between 12 to 16 years old

5. Changes in the Different Health Dimensions
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM- contains glands that produce hormones for
stimulating growth
PITUITARY GLANDS- “master gland”, is a pea-sized gland that secretes
the puberty hormones (gonadotropins) and the growth hormone
(somatotropin)

6. Growth Hormone
-controls the development of long bones, which is responsible for
teenagers growing taller
- Also responsible for the growth of muscles and accumulation of body
fats
Puberty Hormones
- Act on reproductive organs (ovaries and testes) to become more
activated to produce sex hormones
Testes- produce male hormones called testosterone
Ovaries produce the female hormones called estrogen

7. Primary sex characteristics are directly related to sexual reproduction
menarche – first menstrual bleeding
Ejaculation – release of seminal fluid
Secondary sex characteristics are features that are not directly related to
sexual reproduction.

8. Girls Boys
• Development of breasts
• Voice change
• Growth of hair in pubic
area and armpits
• Dramatic increase in height
• Development of acne (in
some cases only)
• Growth of hair in pubic
area, face, and armpits
• Adam’s apple becomes
bigger
• Growth of muscles
• Deepening of voice
• Dramatic increase in height
• Development of acne

9. Intellectual/Mental Abilities
• They perform better using their mathematical and verbal skills
• Teenagers have increased ability of abstract thinking.
• They tend to be more argumentative, critical, and idealistic
• They are able to reason out their choices.
• They learn more defined work habits. This is likely to manifest earlier
among girls than boys
• They develop more concern in schoolwork and begin to set their own
goals.
• They start to develop a sense of right and wrong, and they make
decisions based on conscience.

10. Emotional and Social Changes
• Making friends and keeping them matters a lot to a teenager
• A teenager is greatly influenced by his or her peers when it comes to
his or her choices.
• He or she chooses friends who share the same interest as him or her
• He or she voices out his or her feelings, whether positive or negative
• He or she tends to be argumentative during conversations
• He or she tries to find out solutions to hos or her own problems

11. Moral-spiritual Changes
Adolescents tend to explore beliefs, values, and ideas. What they
believe in at the moments may not be the same next week.

12. PROBLEMS CONCERNING
PHYSICAL CHANGES

13. POSTURE PROBLEM
• Female adolescents who grow taller earlier than their peers or
classmates may sometimes feel inferior. They may begin to slouch as
they are not used to their height.
• Taller and bigger boys may sometimes bully their smaller and thinner
classmates. These bullied students would then resort to slouching to
avoid their bullies.
• Slouching or stooping one’s head and shoulder msy lead to the
development of poor posture
• A person can have headaches, lower back pain, and constipation
because his or her body is not properly aligned

15. Personal hygiene
• The skin has sweat glands that
become more active during puberty
• These specialized sweat glands that
are concentrated under the arm,
around the groin area, and on the
scalp, produce a fatty form of sweat
that attracts bacteria

16. ORAL/ DENTAL
PROBLEMS
• Common dental problems are tooth decay and
inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and these can
cause bad breath (halitosis)
• Halitosis can be caused by the improper brushing of
teeth and overconsumption of carbonated drinks
and sweet foods
• Brushing your teeth properly (2 minutes at least
twice a day using short, back-and-forth strokes),
eating healthy foods and visiting your doctor twice
a year may help reduce tooth decay

17. Lack of Sleep
• Adolescents must receive at least 9-10 hours of
sleep every night.
• It is during sleep when the pituitary gland releases
more hormones like the growth hormone
• During sleep, our body cells grow and repair
themselves rapidly
• Lack of sleep might cause a disruption in this
process and may cause the delay of growth and
development of an adolescent.
• You must discipline yourself regarding sleep. Follow
a strict sleeping time and do not stay awake
spending time on less important things. Seek
professional help if you have problems bothering
you that make falling asleep difficult

18. Problems Concerning
Emotional Changes
• Teenagers can be happy at one time, then sad the next
time.
• Being emotional or sensitive, being uncertain over his
or her identity or sexuality; exhibiting mood swings;
being exposed to peer pressures and experiencing
sexual attraction toward the opposite or same sex
• You may engage in physical and social activities, such
as dancing, hobby, and sports to make you feel better
and worry less about the many changes taking place
within yourself

19. Problems concerning
Social Changes
• Adolescents socialize more and develop
relationships with other people.
• They tend to spend more time with their
friends than with family members
• Some teenagers also start to go out on a date
or start to have romantic relationships with
another person