When teenagers and women get their ears pierced, it is not uncommon for infections to occur. Even from a small opening, bacteria entering the body require immediate attention.

When you decide to have your ears pierced, know that there is risk involved. Many don’t think about it because it is such a simple procedure, but you are introducing a foreign object into your body. Whether the earring is 24-karat gold or surgical steel, it is still not part of your natural tissue.

The earlobe is different from the cartilaginous portion of the ear when it comes to the incidence of infection. Most piercings take place in the lobe of the ear, where the blood supply is rich. When piercings are done further up the ear, the blood supply is not as good in the cartilage, and it needs to pull blood from nearby vessels, which can create a more extensive infection if it occurs there.

Even with precautions an infection can still occur. Here are some steps that you can take to clear up an infection from ear piercing:

* Remove the earring – This is advised when the ear is not newly pierced. If it is, removing the piercing can seal the infection in the ear tissue, which can stem the source of the infection.

* Cover the ear in a solution of salt – Using balanced salt solution or Epsom salts will flush the wound and promote healing. Do this at least twice a day.

* Squeeze the ear – This might be painful, but it is necessary to remove any pus and bacteria from the ear that is forming. Constantly removing infected fluid and irrigating with salt solution will clean it out.

* Use warm compresses – They will bring more blood supply to the area to speed healing. Try it twice a day for several minutes. Be sure to completely dry the ear afterwards. Bacteria love moist places and you don’t want to spread the infection.

* Apply antibiotic ointment – This ointment can seal the wounds and keep other bacteria out. Just apply a small amount around both sides of your ear.

* Continue to turn your earrings daily – The infection has interrupted the healing process. As it is stopped, the ear will recommence closing. Turning the studs will prevent the tissue from attaching to the piercing.

* See a doctor – If the infection seems to be getting worse instead of better after a few days of at-home treatment, seek medical attention. A doctor can prescribe an oral antibiotic for more aggressive bacteria.

An infection doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying pierced ears. Wear pure metal earrings to avoid allergic reactions that can contribute to an increased risk of infection.

Ear piercing goes back thousands of years. Today we have the benefit of sterile techniques and disposable needles. You can go to any number of stores or kiosks in the mall and have your ears pierced in minutes, but what takes such a short time to do can become a nightmare if not taken care of properly.

Piercing is a surgical procedure in which the skin of the ear is incised by a needle to make room for an earring. It is a small opening but still needs to be cared for post-operatively.

The skin around the piercing will begin to heal. You want to avoid the healing from encasing the earring and also from reclosing the hole that has just been created. If your teenager wants to have her ears pierced, you should teach her how to take care of the piercings to avoid infections.

Tips for Care of Piercings

* Don’t remove your earrings – Just in case they don’t tell you this when you have it performed, for the first six weeks, do not take out the studs. This is the primary healing time and the piercing can easily close over.

* Clean the earring hole every day – Before doing anything near the earring, wash your hands with soap and water. Since you can’t remove the stud, take a cotton ball or cotton swab and dip it in alcohol. Swab the stud on both sides of the ears. If you are given a specific cleaning solution, use that instead. When participating in sports or other activities that can introduce dirt around the studs, clean them more than once per day.

* Turn your earrings daily – As the tissue heals, it will try to attach to the studs. Daily turning prevents this so you don’t end up with earrings that you can’t remove without reopening the wounds.

* Keep chemicals away from your newly pierced ears – Hair dyes, perfumes, cosmetics and hair oils can all introduce an infection into the ears as they heal.

* Protect your ears from injury – This can happen if you play sports. Any blow to the ears or tugging on the studs can reopen the healing tissue.

* Don’t play with your earrings – It’s an unconscious thing to twirl earrings as you talk, but this action can also introduce bacteria and dirt into the healing ears.

An infection is one thing that you want to avoid when you get your ears pierced. Just like anywhere else, an infection here can be painful and can mar your dreams of donning dangles from your newly pierced ears.

As we age, our bones lose mass due to a loss in calcium, the mineral important for proper bone growth. If you are missing proper nutrients during your developmental years, lit can affect you for the rest of your life.

Ninety percent of bone growth occurs by age seventeen, but many teens don’t make the necessary choices to create the healthiest bones possible for their adult life. It takes exercise, proper diet and also healthy habits to cultivate calcium-rich bone. Unfortunately, teens don’t necessarily think about healthy bones and don’t consume enough calcium in their diets.

Calcium is needed for different reactions in the body, especially in the conduction of electrical impulses across muscles and nerve fibers. The body takes the calcium it needs from the bones.

On a daily basis, this calcium needs to be replenished. When the supply is not adequate to meet the demand, the bones get weak and brittle as you age.

Here are some ways that teens can increase their calcium intake for healthier bones now and in the future:

* Eat or drink more dairy – Dairy products contain a lot of calcium. Even if you are self-conscious about your weight, opting for low-fat varieties of milk, cheese and yogurt will still boost your daily calcium intake.

* Eat more vegetables – Green is great when it comes to vegetables. Try all the dark leafy greens until you find one you like. Try a fresh spinach salad with cheese.

* Exercise – Weight-bearing activities increase the density and hardness of bones. Many student athletes suffer from stress fractures when they play sports, which could be due to the lack of sufficient calcium in the diet. Include high impact sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball and running. Also include weight training in your regimen to increase strength.

It takes a variety of activities as well as a healthy intake of calcium to improve bone strength. Your bones for the rest of your life are molded during the teen years. Make healthy choices to help yout bones stay strong as you age

Getting fit is for everyone, including teenagers. Most teens want to be healthy, but motivation is a factor, as it is with everyone. But does that mean that they need to join a gym? There are pros and cons to teenagers joining a gym.

Pros

When it comes to working out, it is more fun and motivating in groups. When you can bring a friend, both of you can feed off each other and get the work done.

The gym setting can be great for that. Those gyms that offer family memberships allow everyone to unwind from their day and exercise together. Larger gyms do offer these memberships and a wide variety of activities in which to participate. Not only are there weight machines, but also cardio fitness ones such as treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bicycles.

Personal training is also a big hit at gyms. For the teen who has never done exercise before or who doesn’t know what to do, a personal trainer can help. Be sure to check to see if they have trainers who are certified to work with young people effectively.

Your teen can get individual attention each week to help them combine the right amount of cardio and weights for their health. A personal trainer can also help them to set personal weight loss or fitness goals that they can follow from that point on.

Many gyms have classes. For example, if you take a yoga class, your job is to follow the instructor. Depending on your fitness level, he or she will guide your through the moves necessary to achieve success in the class.

Cons

Gym memberships are expensive. For an individual it can cost $50 or more monthly; for a family membership, $100 or more per month. Some families can’t pay that in an effort to allow their teens to work out in a gym. And, contracts are usually for one year. If your teen decides not to go or gets interested in something else, the parents are still obligated to pay the monthly fee.

Not all gyms are equipped the same. They don’t all have instructors that can teach how to use the equipment. For a teen, that can lead to doing a little exercise, but not really staying motivated.

They have to get there to work out. If your teen doesn’t drive, that means that they may have to get you to take them and may not get to use their membership that much.

Should teens join a gym? If the family is going regularly, then it won’t be difficult to go. How much there is to do will depend on the gym. But, once locked into a contract, it will be hard to break if your teen later changes his or her mind about wanting a gym membership.

It takes constant stimulation to keep children motivated, and to keep them fit for life, it will take constant stimulation if you don’t want boredom to set in.

The national obesity epidemic has not only taken over the lives of adults, but of children as well. Technology in part has helped us to become a society that sits rather than moves. If adults aren’t moving about, children follow the example set for them. Let’s break the cycle of a sedentary lifestyle and teach our children how to be fit for life.

Here are some ways that you can get your children up off the couch and moving each and every day:

* Do something you love – This is the biggest boost to motivation. If you try an activity and it doesn’t work for you, then don’t be afraid to try something else. Children will be quick to tell you that they don’t like something;  Ask them what activities they like to do and strive to choose one each day to participate in. When you like what you do, it feels natural to do it all the time.

* Don’t think of physical activity as exercise – Instead of saying “Let’s go exercise,” which sounds like work, say “Let’s go have fun.” Make it fun and children will forget to be bored and just enjoy themselves. It could be as simple as shooting hoops in the driveway or riding bicycles.

* Exercise with your children – It’s easy to sit back and tell your children what to do, but that would not be a good example for them. Play kickball in the backyard, ride bikes together, hike in the woods and before you know it, you will feel like a kid again. Not only is your child staying motivated, but you are as well.

* Invite their friends along – Exercise is great when you have a partner. If you are getting together a game of basketball, invite your children’s friends to participate. Activities like this are more fun when you have lots of people. Form a neighborhood team or get involved with a church team. This promotes competitiveness and keeps children motivated to get moving.

* Set goals – If your child is a little bit heavier than others their age, the goal could be to slim down a bit. Goals give us something to work towards, a motivation for staying fit. Children can be motivated by the same types of things as adults.

If you want to keep your children fit and break the epidemic of obesity, use these ideas to make it happen.

Children are not immune to emotional pain. Situations that affect adults can take their toll on younger people as well. If you believe your child needs a therapist, here is how to find one.

The Need for a Therapist

Children can benefit from consulting a therapist. If you think that your child is a candidate, here are some examples of reasons that a child could need to talk to someone:

* Divorce
* Traumatic incident (school shooting, loss of a friend)
* Car accident
* Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)
* Bullying
* Depression
* Developmental disorders (autism, ADHD, OCD)
* Death of a parent

This is not a comprehensive list but one that includes a few common reasons. As parents, we often feel that we should be able to heal any hurt that our children have. To that end, we talk to them and set rules in the hope that whatever the problem is that they are facing, it will go away.

No matter how much we continue to talk, sometimes a professional is better able to handle the situation. However, there is still a stigma surrounding therapy for children and adults. The myth is that people will think that you are crazy if therapy is sought.

The truth is that therapy performed by a qualified professional can lead to a better understanding and a resolution of the problem at hand. Therefore, if symptoms or feelings of loss (sadness, depression, outbursts, uncharacteristic behavior) are still present, consider the option of a professional.

Talk to your child first and ask them how they feel about consulting a therapist. Try not to preface anything that you say to influence their decision. If their honest answer is that they would like to try, it may be time to seek outside help.

Identifying a Therapist

Finding a therapist is a process. Here are a few steps to get started:

* Ask for recommendations – Your medical doctor may have suggestions for you. Ask friends and family members, your church pastor or other religious person of authority.

* Check out credentials – Once you have a list of potentials, check to verify that they are licensed professional therapists. Also, if your child has a specific condition, a therapist who works with children suffering from that condition may make a better match for your child.

* Set up an introduction – Let your child meet the therapist to determine whether they are a good match. One aspect of good therapy is the connection between the therapist and client. If your child is uncomfortable, move on to your next choice on the list.

* Evaluate the results – It may take several sessions to get at the heart of the problem, but you might see a change in your child sooner than that as a ray of hope. Positive results are a possible indicator that the therapist is beneficial.

Sometimes, a therapist can be helpful to your child if they are experiencing a difficult time. Use these tips to find a good one.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not a problem that affects only adults. In fact, many adults who suffer from OCD had shown signs and symptoms at an earlier age.

Because children and teens go through so many developmental stages, some behaviors can be misinterpreted. For instance, anger and anxiety may be attributed to peer pressure when it could be a sign of a more serious condition. With teens, at least they can articulate what they are feeling to give a better idea of what is going on.

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior?

There are two sides to the obsessive-compulsive condition. On one side, there are obsessions, which are described as thoughts and impulses that come out of nowhere. The person suffering from them doesn’t want to necessarily act on them, but feels powerless to control them.

Obsessions can revolve around any type of thought. One is fear. Fear of doing something or succumbing to something can result in thoughts that occupy every waking thought. For example, the fear of having your home broken into may lead to constant thoughts of what might happen if someone did get in. These thoughts don’t cease even when you know that your doors are locked.

Another type of obsessive thought may concern impulses. Wanting to hurt or harm someone or yourself is an impulse, especially when nothing has happened to warrant the action. This behavior can scare a teen and make them anxious whenever they are in a situation that triggers it.

Obsessive thoughts can also surround doubts. It is usually one specific doubt that plants itself in the mind. No matter what type of certainty is given, the doubt still persists.

Having obsessive thoughts can cause untold anxiety in your teen. Unknowingly, you may become a part of their obsession and thus walk into a minefield. Obsession can trigger shouting matches, unruly behavior, poor grades and isolation.

On the other side of obsession is compulsion. These are ritualistic acts that are performed repetitively as a result of an obsession. Even if the teen knows that the obsession isn’t rational, the compulsive act is a way to satisfy the obsession and reduce their anxiety.

Here is an example. Using the thought about someone breaking in the house, the compulsive act could be constantly checking the locks several times a night whenever the obsession takes hold. This can disrupt sleep and lead to stress from sleeplessness.

Because this is a type of anxiety disorder, seeking a solution might need to involve professional help. Without therapeutic tools, a teen or young child can feel powerless to understand why they are acting in a strange manner. Through professional support, they can learn to survive their condition.

The teenage years are difficult, not only for the teenager but for everyone. For teen girls, it is a time of self-discovery, and one way to help them is through encouraging increased physical activity.

The Benefits of Physical Activity

Physical activity improves the level of your health. When you are healthy, you are less prone to disease and illness. For teens, that can mean a decreased incidence of pimples, acne, colds and other conditions.

Physical activity also reshapes the body. Where they were once lanky, they can have shapelier muscles. If they are carrying extra pounds, they can slim down to a healthier weight.

How to Encourage Activity

With technology growing by leaps and bounds, people can accomplish several tasks by sitting and tapping the screens on their cell phones, or surfing on the Internet instead of running around town. Technology is good, but it has left the younger generation lacking in physical activity and a greater number of teenagers are overweight and undernourished.

Here are a few tips to get started:

* Choose an activity that they like – Traditional exercise is not exactly what many teen girls are looking for. Many of them like to dance, so try to interest them in a dance class. The hottest craze right now is Zumba fitness. It is Latin, hip-hop, salsa and club dancing all mixed together for a fun, calorie-burning workout.

* Work out with them – There is strength in numbers. When they see that you are participating and are not just all talk, they will be more likely to give it a try, but still allow them to choose the activity. Encourage them to also bring a few friends along. They will also see that you don’t have to be an athlete to participate and do well.

* Choose same sex activities – It can be hard to concentrate on what you are doing if there are boys in the room. This can make a teen girl subconscious about how she looks. A dance class that is mostly women or a running club for women reduces that self-consciousness and can even boost your teen’s self-esteem. If other women can do it, so can she.

* Keep track of progress – This requires setting goals. What she wants to accomplish could be increased self-esteem, weight loss, or toning up. Before you begin, have her weigh herself and take measurements. Each month, recheck the results as there is nothing that motivates more than seeing the results.

* Congratulate her efforts – Even if she is not the most stellar person in the class or on the sports team, don’t hold back on praise for what she has accomplished.

The teen years see a change in body composition for young girls. Boost their self-esteem and their knowledge of self by helping them stay active and take control of their lives.

If you are a teenaged girl or you know a teen girl, shifting hormonal levels and peer pressure can lead to unhealthy food choices. Here are some tips to help stay healthy through good nutrition.

Good nutrition is important in all stages of life and for teen girls, it can be crucial. As they experience puberty, the body changes. For girls, this means that deposits of fat shift to the hips. The pelvis widens to prepare for eventual childbirth. The breasts begin to grow larger. This is also a fat deposit where milk will be produced in the event of a pregnancy.

These bodily changes can be alarming and also unpleasant for many girls. It is not uncommon for adolescent girls to fall prey to some form of eating disorder – namely anorexia or bulimia – during this time in their lives.

Staying off this path is essential not only to present health, but also future health for girls; therefore, begin by instilling confidence through knowledge.

When a girl learns how her body works, she can take back some of the control she may feel she has lost. The body is doing what it is supposed to be doing at that time in her life. She may worry about getting fat, but she won’t have to if proper nutrition is observed.

Nutrition Tips

* Eat breakfast – People underestimate its importance. Breakfast fuels the mind and the body after a long sleep (and, teenagers do sleep a lot). It can also stop cravings for fats and sweets that can add fat to the body.

* Choose healthier snacks – Instead of hitting the snack machine, try fat-free microwave popcorn with spray butter. For a girl on the go, celery sticks with peanut butter or fresh fruit are easy to carry and fast to eat.

* Create your own snacks – One way to ensure that they will eat better is to let them have a hand in preparing their own food. They learn about food and how different ones affect the body, and at the same time they feel in control by preparing what will keep them healthy and give them the look that they want.

* Eat every few hours – If weight loss or weight maintenance is what she wants, keeping the metabolism high is the key. Eating often burns more calories. Eating healthy forms of grains, fats, protein and dairy lead to more fat burning because nutrients that the body can use are being provided.

Adolescent girls often turn to starvation diets to thwart what nature is doing within their bodies. However, there is a better way with a few nutrition tips, a positive self-image and an understanding of how the body works.

What we eat plays a big role in how our skin looks. When the inside of the body is not working at optimal levels, the outside can’t either. Let us discuss what vitamins can play a part in clearing up acne.

What Is Acne?

Acne affects the skin and usually only facial skin. You have heard of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and zits. These different skin problems can become infected and spread, leading to the acne that many experience all over their face.

There are many treatments on the market, but many don’t work for every person as they treat the symptoms, but not the root cause of the acne. Sometimes we can exacerbate our condition by the foods that we eat. If you start out with pimples, an increase in their frequency can indicate an acne infection.

Causes of Acne

Acne can have a variety of contributing factors. Some you can’t control, such as your genetic make-up and even how your hormones are behaving. However, there are others that you can control, such as hygiene and diet.

As far as the hygiene, washing your face and exfoliating can go a long way to keeping your pores clean from future outbreaks of acne, but this will only carry you so far if the nourishment that your skin is getting is inadequate.

Vitamins and Your Skin

To help clear up your complexion, consider what you are eating. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we don’t eat as well as we should. Food is not just fuel for the body; each good food contains vitamins and minerals that our organs need at their most basic level. We are often missing out on many of those, and that deficiency can allow conditions such acne to flourish.

Increasing certain vitamins in your diet can do a lot to increase the health of your skin. Start by taking a multivitamin each day as many may contain the vitamins that you need.  For those do not, there are food choices that you can make:

* Vitamin A – This is a component of some acne treatments. Acquiring it through foods such as fruits and vegetables is more desired by the body because it is in its natural form. Vitamin A also promotes new cell growth.

* Omega-3 fatty acids – These acids are known to reduce inflammation in the tissues, and acne is definitely an inflammation. Choices include fish, fish oil, and olive oil.

* Zinc – Boosts immune function.

* B vitamins – Increasing B vitamins can reduce inflammation on the skin. Opt for B-complex vitamin supplements so that there are no deficiencies.

Vitamins are important to all organs, including the skin. Increasing their presence in your diet (while decreasing unhealthy choices) can improve the overall health of your skin.