Importance of Regular Check-Ups and Health Screenings for Adolescents

Dr. Jeffrey Cabotaje and Dr. Elizabeth Wollensak at Pediatrics Unlimited in Oak Park, IL, offer a wide range of medical services for children of all ages, including adolescent check-ups.

What You Need To Know About Healthcare for Your Adolescent

Your child is an adolescent if your child is between the ages of 10 and 19. Adolescent healthcare presents some unique challenges, which is why regular check-ups and health screenings are important. As your child grows into an adolescent, your adolescent becomes taller, gains weight, and increases muscle mass. Muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments grow and lengthen.

Hormone levels increase as your adolescent goes through puberty. Increased hormone levels can lead to mood changes, growth of body hair in boys, breast development, and menstruation in girls. Social development can change as your adolescent experiences peer pressure. This is a time during which your adolescent may experience risky behaviors like smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.

Regular adolescent check-ups and screenings can help your adolescent enjoy a healthy life. An adolescent check-up is comprehensive, involving several steps, including:

• Performing a physical examination, to determine if your adolescent shows signs or symptoms of illness or a medical condition
• Ordering necessary laboratory testing to screen for medical conditions and assess overall health
• Ordering necessary imaging studies, to check for issues involving bones, muscles, nerves, and organs
• Discussing behavioral and mental health issues with your adolescent

Adolescent check-ups should happen at least once each year, and more often if your adolescent wants to play a sport. Your adolescent may also need a check-up if he or she is:

• Suffering from an acute illness
• Experiencing depression or anxiety about social situations
• Forgetting things and not completing tasks
• Doing poorly in school due to inattention
• Engaging in smoking, drinking, or substance abuse
• Having thoughts of self-harm or harming others

Want To Know More About Adolescent Check-ups and Health Screenings?

To learn more about adolescent check-ups and adolescent medicine, call Dr. Jeffrey Cabotaje and Dr. Elizabeth Wollensak at Pediatrics Unlimited in Oak Park, IL. You can reach them in the office by calling (708) 383-3010, so call today.