Positive Health Online

When a new baby arrives the parents experience a tremendous amount of joy but along with that, they will encounter a number of issues as they grow.  The sleepless nights, teething problems, walking, nursery, school and then the teenage years as they prepare for adulthood.

Many children seem to be experiencing puberty younger and wish to assert their authority, and much to the chagrin of their parents, rebelling against the standards they have previously been taught.

From the age of 7 a child’s body will begin to produce teenage hormones.[1,2]^.  The brain releases a hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) sending a message to the pituitary gland to secrete follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) the hormones that are responsible for the ovaries to produce oestrogen, a primary female sex hormone.  As the menstrual cycle begins and the female develops breasts, body hair, weight changes, emotions can be intense.

[Insert Image: Puberty-Hormonal_control and Feedback Perspective 600x433px.jpg]

Hyperlink to: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Puberty-Hormonal_control.jpg

Caption: The figure shows endocrine and hormonal control, through stimulation and feedback mechanisms, on sexual growth and development during and after Puberty.

When puberty begins breast buds appear in a young girl and roughly 2 years after this, the first menstrual flow (the menarche) occurs.  Even though the young girl may be aware that this will happen to her body, the first flow can be a surprise as she realises that she could in the course of time, fall pregnant and become a mother.

As the young boy develops his body will be producing testosterone (the primary male sex hormone), sperm and other bodily fluids that result in semen and by the age of 12 as the testes enlarge, he will most likely have experienced his first ejaculation – otherwise known as the semenarche.   He may also be embarrassed if he has ‘wet dreams’ also known as a ‘sleep orgasm’.[3]  These are a normal occurrence in some young boys due to the release of semen that has built up in the body and may be the result of a dream about sex even if the dream is unremembered.  Young girls may also have a sleep orgasm but this tends to be less common.

Parents will be able to see the subtle change of sexual development and growth that their child experiences as these chemical changes take place during the process of puberty.  For both parents and the child, it can be a daunting time.  Aside from bodily changes emotions will start to become more apparent, those temper tantrums that happened during infancy will become more like mood swings and they may display impulsive behaviour.  Outbursts can be common as they learn to understand these changes and develop a way of living with them, such outbursts are due to fluctuations in the sex hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Now that they have reached puberty, boys and girls will become curious about sexual development and feel the need to experiment and now that the male can produce sperm undertaking unprotected sex can result in a female egg being fertilized and an unwanted pregnancy can occur.

As the teenage years progress their childhood friends may notice physical changes such as teenage acne, weight gain or growth spurts, ’growing pains’, body odour[4]  that could make the young man or woman feel very insecure about their appearance and may become obsessed with their shape or a physical part of their body that they feel ‘doesn’t look right’ that could lead to obsessive compulsive disorder or eating disorders.[5]

I recall being on the receiving end of unpleasant remarks about my own body shape from girls at school, thankfully I was blessed with extremely supportive and loving parents who were able to help me negotiate that time in my life.

Body odour caused by natural skin bacteria feeding of the release of sweat from the apocrine sweat and sebaceous glands becomes apparent.  Aside from cleanliness and good hygiene, limiting the intake of heavily spiced foods and drinking plenty of water will help to alleviate the problem.  If smelly feet become noticeable a helpful suggestion is for the child to wear cotton socks.  A colleague recently described her teenage son’s hormonal phase as ‘testosterone and tash’.   I recall the rebellious nature of both my sons when they went through puberty, how they tested my parental rules (those that had been established to keep them safe).   Arguing about underage smoking, drinking and truanting school.  It is natural for children to want to disobey their parents and teachers as they begin to assert their own autonomy. 

Being a grandmother with four grandsons of various ages, I acknowledge the extreme social media influence of today compared to when my sons were teenagers.  IPads and smart phones can have a huge influence on their behaviour, not only as to how they see themselves when compared with their peers, but how they can get caught up with the variety of social media apps as they ‘follow’ their friends and engage in group chats.[6,7] 

Following a national consultation in March to May 2026, a new set of regulations regarding the accessibility of social media to the under 16’s should be implemented in the Spring of 2027.[8] Messaging service such as WhatsApp will not be included in the ban.

Many children have a fear of missing out (FOMO) and will spend hours of their after-school time on social media.  If they do not make friends easily social media can become their go-to as they try to feel less isolated and the ‘doom scrolling’ can highlight any feelings of inadequacy they may be experiencing causing any symptoms they have of anxiety and depression to escalate.  Late night scrolling can lead to sleep deprivation and in turn this could lead to lack of focus, inability to concentrate, irritability and stress.  In 2017 the Royal Society for Public Health, Vision, Voice and Practice investigated the effects of social media on young people outlining positive and negative effects and while it has revolutionised communications 7 in 10 people said that they had experienced cyberbullying.[6]

The harm that unnecessary comments can make is awful; I have recently read of children who have taken their own lives and so it is essential that parents, teachers, and other responsible adults are vigilant especially if all that is needed is for the young teen to be listened to. 

The Tanner Scale invented by James Tanner (1920-2010)[9]  measured the scale of sexual development of children during puberty[10]  namely

Stage 1 Beginning around the ages of 7 or 8 in females and 9 or 10 in males,

Stage 2 between the ages of 9 and 11 in females and age 11 in males

Stage 3 after the age of 12 in females and age 13 in males

Stage 4 age 13 in females and 14 in males

Stage 5 the final stage of puberty at around the age of 15 in both males and females

I have treated many young clients who have presented with confidence issues, skin problems, anxiety and females suffering a range of menstrual problems and whilst I list a few remedies below, these are only touching the surface of how I work because in order to select the most appropriate remedy, a detailed case history needs to be taken.

This article highlights some of the problems that could be associated with puberty and the young person’s development.  I give below a few pointers towards homeopathic remedies that could be beneficial.

Berberis Aquifolieum[11,12]

A remedy for acne, blotches on the skin, dry eczema, pimples, urticaria.  The skin feels better when washing in cold water.  The person can be unhappy and be disinclined to do anything.

Calc Carb[11,12]

Suited to those who are overweight and suffer with perspiration that smells sour.  They tend to become exhausted easily and this can make them appear lazy, there may also be an issue with their thyroid gland.  They have a tendency to feel jaded or exhausted due to overwork.

Calc Phos [11,12]  

Teenage growth spurts – children can be anaemic due to malassimilation of food that could be caused by them skipping meals to ensure they don’t put on too much weight.  A remedy that I have used to help the pain associated with Osgood-Schlatter’s disease in both boys and girls.

Ferrum Phos [11,12]

Painful menses with backache and headache. Facial acne, pale flushed face. Anxious dreams disturbing sleep.

Hepar Sulph [11,12]

Highly sensitive and extremely irritable.  Impulsive and bad tempered.  Offensive perspiration. Boils and abscesses, pimples that tend to spread. Chilly person.  Likes spicy food, pickles and vinegar.

Lycopodium [11,12]

Indecisive, poor self-esteem and lack of confidence. Anxiety with a fear of failure – useful in children who have upcoming exams.  Can be irritable, angry and domineering.  Food intolerances, they can feel full after eating just a little and experience bloating.  

Nat Mur [11,12]

Tendency to keep their emotions inside following a disappointment and find it hard to cry in front of others due to embarrassment.  Migraine type headaches of nervous schoolchildren.  Irregular, heavy menses. Blisters and cold sores around the mouth.  Dry, raw eczema around the hairline and the bends of the limbs. 

Nux Vom [11,12]

Very irritable, like the ‘bear with a sore head’.  Impatient and easily angered. Ambitious and competitive, headstrong, cursing as dislikes contradiction. Finds faults with others. High sex drive.  Red blotchy skin, acne.

Pulsatilla [11,12]  

This remedy suits a person of a shy gentle nature but can also present as very stubborn.  They like to please and this can make them seem indecisive and can cry easily but are so much better when consoled. Prior to puberty females may have a thin, milky discharge of fluid from their breasts.  The menses may be delayed or irregular with discomfort. Acne at puberty or urticaria in the summer months.  They suffer with indigestion from rich, fatty foods.  This remedy is also suitable for young males experiencing nocturnal emissions

Sepia [11,12]  

Female hormonal disorders, irregular or painful menses, crosses legs to alleviate discomfort. Mentally and physically worn out, bursts into tears, irritable and easily offended. Eruptions on the mouth and nose.  Body odour.  Sensitive to cold air.

Silica [11,12]  
Shy and introverted, anxious, fear of failure, loss of confidence. Inability to concentrate with anxiety about their health.   Easily exhausted. Boils and acne. Prone to constipation before and during menses.

Sulphur [5,6]

Dry, unhealthy skin and hair.  Burning, itching pimples.  Bored and lazy, absent. Minded.  Anxious with an overactive mind preventing sleep. fear of failure. Quick tempered sensitive to atmospheric changes. Appetite either loss of or ravenous.

As mentioned above, these are just some keynotes that can help but in order to select the most appropriate remedy a detailed case history taken by a qualified homeopath is recommended since the underlying reason may not be readily apparent until the case is taken.

Homeopathy is a natural medicine and one can add today that it is eco-friendly and  can safely be given to people of all ages.  Homeopathic remedies are obtainable from homeopathic pharmacies or from health shops.   I would always recommend that anyone looking to use homeopathic remedies seek guidance so that they feel confident in selecting the most appropriate remedies.  Chronic ailments should be referred to a qualified homeopath and if in any doubt do not hesitate to consult your GP.   The remedies quoted above are listed in the homeopathic Repertory[11]  and Materia Medica.[12]   New provings are continually being undertaken thereby expanding the range of homeopathic remedies a homeopath has to choose from.

June Sayer D.Hom (Med) MARH, D.N.Th., D.Iridol,

Homeopath, Nutritionist, Reiki Master/Teacher

References:

1. https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/empowering-teens/teenage-hormones-and-sexuality/#:~:text=Hormonal%20imbalances%20in%20teenage%20girls,be%20symptoms%20of%20hormonal%20imbalance.
2. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hormones-and-the-endocrine-system
3. https://www.webmd.com/teens/wet-dream-faq
4. https://childrenswi.org/at-every-turn/stories/2021/07/teen-body-odor
5. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/body-dysmorphic-disorder
6. https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/publications/statusofmind/
7. https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/social-media-and-mental-health
8. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fact-sheet-new-rules-to-protect-children-online/fact-sheet-new-rules-to-protect-children-online
9. https://history.rcp.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/james-mourilyan-tanner
10. https://childgrowthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Puberty-and-the-Tanner-Stages.pdf
11. Murphy, Robin ND, Homeopathic Clinical Repertory 3^rd
12. Murphy, Robin ND, Nature’s Materia Medica 3^rd