Solo per adolescenti

Poiché ti rispettiamo come paziente, manterremo riservate le tue discussioni il più possibile. Tuttavia, i tuoi genitori sono ovviamente preoccupati per la tua salute e il tuo benessere, e il tuo pediatra vorrà tenerli informati in caso di situazioni estreme, ad esempio se la tua vita o quella di qualcun altro è in pericolo. Nella maggior parte dei casi, tuttavia, le informazioni che condividi con noi rimarranno tra noi. Alcuni adolescenti vengono dal pediatra solo quando sono malati o feriti, ma ti consigliamo di venire una volta all'anno per un controllo. Queste visite annuali sono un'occasione in cui possiamo discutere di come mantenerti in salute, consigliarti eventuali esami di screening appropriati e assicurarci che tutto vada bene. Questo è un primo passo per prendere in mano la tua salute. Dovresti anche fissare un appuntamento per visitarci quando sei malato o preoccupato per ciò che sta accadendo al tuo corpo. La crescita fisica può anche innescare cambiamenti nel tuo modo di pensare e di sentire. Potresti sentirti triste, arrabbiato o nervoso a volte. Sentiti libero di parlarne con noi. Di seguito è riportato un elenco parziale di argomenti di cui puoi parlare con il tuo medico.

During a “sports physical” we focus on health issues that are important to sports participation. We recommend that you schedule your sports physical at least 6 weeks before you are to begin practice. This way if we encounter a problem that may limit participation we can thoroughly evaluate it before you are scheduled to begin practice. During these visits, we discuss many ways to keep healthy and fit during your sports season.

It is important for you to tell us about any chronic pain or illnesses that you have or any changes in the way you feel, even if you don’t think they are serious. We can discuss the impact that these may have on your health.

Your body will go through a big growth spurt during puberty. You may want to discuss things like how tall you will be, is your sexual development normal, should you worry about your weight, or are you having problems with your menstrual periods? These are all things you can discuss openly and freely with your physician.

Sometimes it is difficult to know who to turn to when you have a hard time dealing with problems with friends, family or school. Feel free to talk to us about your concerns.

You may be tempted to take risks or feel a lot of pressure from your friends to do things that make you feel uncomfortable. Becoming an adult means more than just physical growth. It means making decisions that are best for you. We can explain how smoking, drinking, or taking other drugs can affect you.

During your visits with us, you’ll have a chance to ask questions about dating, sexual activity, and infections. We can also talk to you confidentially about postponing sex and how to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pregnancy. It’s important to make smart choices about sex now since the wrong choice could affect the rest of your life.

If you have a medical problem that will require you to see a different type of physician, we will refer you to a specialist who can help. A referral may involve an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) for visual problems, psychologist for stress or depression, physical therapist for injury rehabilitation or other physicians to address your special needs.