Puberty Problems
Puberty is the stage when your body grows from a child’s to an adult’s. One can know that they are going through puberty, by the way, their body changes.
Normally, these changes begin between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls, and between 9 and 14 for guys. Although there is a wide range in age, it is considered normal. But in case, people pass this normal age range for puberty without showing any signs of body changes is termed as delayed puberty.
Signs of puberty
In girls:
- Breasts development
- Pubic hair growth
- Start of Menstruation
- The body gets curvier with wider hips
In boys:
- Growth of pubic and facial hair
- Testicles and Penis enlargement
- Change in body shapes, widening of shoulders and being more muscular
These changes in the body are caused by sex hormones i.e testosterone in boys and estrogen in girls that are produced in much larger amounts than before.
Precocious Puberty or Early Puberty
Abnormal puberty is also termed as precocious puberty and is characterized by the early development of sexual characteristics in girls which is before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys. Most of the children with this kind of disorder grow fast at first and then may finish growing before reaching their full genetic height potential.
Causes of Precocious Puberty
Early puberty and sexual development may be caused by tumours or growth of the ovaries, pituitary gland, adrenal glands or brain. In girls, it is commonly due to early switching on of pubertal hormones called as idiopathic central precocious puberty. Some other causes may include central nervous system abnormalities and few rare genetic syndromes.
Gynecomastia is also another condition that makes the breast tissue swell in boys and men. This generally happens when the balance of two hormones in their body is thrown off.
