This health Web page is designed to help teens stay healthy for life.
During the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents establish patterns of behavior and make lifestyle choices that affect both their current and future health.
Adolescents and young adults are adversely affected by serious health and safety issues such as motor vehicle crashes, violence, substance use and sexual behavior. They also may struggle to adapt behaviors that could decrease their risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood—behaviors such as eating nutritiously, engaging in physical activity and choosing not to use tobacco.
Environmental factors such as family, peer group, school and community characteristics also contribute to the challenges that adolescents face.
As a teen, you will want to take more responsibility for your own health and get yourself in the best shape for all of the activities you enjoy. Visit the links below to learn what you need to know about important teen topics. Then talk with your health care provider for specific information that will help you with the issues important to you.
Please be truthful with your doctor or nurse. It is important to let him/her know any concerns you may have about your body or your feelings.
Remember, this is not a complete list and there are no stupid questions.
Dental Health
Brush your teeth and don't forget to floss. Simple daily habits such as these can help prevent a mouthful of dental problems over your lifetime.
- Oral Health (CDC)
Environmental Health Issues
Environmental health issues range from air and water pollution to exposures to hazardous chemicals at work and at home. Learn what you can do to minimize health impacts from environmental health issues.
- Mercury and Schools: A Risky Combination (NYSDOH)
- Guidelines for Cleanup of Mercury Spills (NYSDOH)
- Mercury and Fish - Advice for women who might become pregnant, are pregnant or nursing mothers and young children (WCDOH)
- Basic Information About Your Drinking Water (EPA)
- Drinking Water from Private Wells (EPA)
- Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil (EPA)
- About Tickborne Disease (WCDOH)
- About West Nile Virus (WCDOH)
- Q and A about Rabies (CDC)
Family/school emotions
If you've felt "down," sad or hopeless and have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things for two weeks straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can screen you for depression. Read the Health Guide for America's Teens.
Handwashing and Hygiene
Hand washing is considered the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection. Ensuring that everyone knows the correct way to wash his or her hands will help control the spread of upper respiratory infections like colds, coughs, or flu, and intestinal infections, including those that cause diarrhea.
Proper hand washing is something we should have learned by the time we get through kindergarten. It is a simple, but important technique for everyone to learn and use. It is the most cost-effective way to decrease the spread of illness. Although schools and childcare facilities are excellent places for learning and practicing hand washing, it is becoming a lost behavior.
The quantity and variety of germs that we carry on our hands everyday is astounding. When we forget to wash our hands, or don't wash our hands correctly, we can spread these germs to other people. Hand washing, when done correctly, can help us avoid spreading and receiving germs. Remembering to wash your hands correctly and frequently is the first step toward staying healthy.
- How to wash hands (poster)
Immunizations
Immunizations are for everyone - children, teens and adults. Keep your life on track with timely immunizations and avoid being sidelined by vaccine-preventable diseases.
Injury Prevention
Accidents will happen. But many injuries can be prevented - take advantage about what's to know about injury prevention to avoid as many injuries as possible.