If you are like most teens, you consider your health to be very good and not easily destroyable. So when you do get sick, it can be a huge unexpected blow. Today we simply can’t afford to lose time to sickness. The demands of daily life don’t pause and wait for us to get better. If we get sick, it is going to negatively affect every part of our lives.
One of the most common problems for teens is mono. This is an ailment that travels through saliva and is not easily caught. People call it the kissing disease because this is one way it is transmitted. Other people catch it by sharing food and drinks with friends. Be careful though, if you get it you’ll be stuck with it for months. Mono makes you very tired and ruins your appetite. It means you are unable to play sports because your spleen is affected and could rupture with intensive activity. It also means you won’t have the energy to continue living your current lifestyle and will have to give up some of your favorite things for the duration of your illness. You only gradually get better.
Other common illnesses are associated with poor diet. Did you know that if you are not eating a balanced diet there are hundreds of conditions that could affect you? You may think that nothing is wrong, because they tend to hide at first. However, these conditions tend to worsen and your health will slowly deteriorate. If you are eating a diet too high in carbohydrates and sugars, or are fasting for long periods of time, you are probably messing up your blood sugar levels. This can lead to hypoglycemia- a condition causing blackouts, fatigue, inability to concentrate and a list of other symptoms. If diagnosed, you are put on a diet consisting of meat eggs and cheese, among other things, and are banned from sugar, wheat, fruit juice and other common foods. This is an extremely difficult diet to follow, but you have to follow it for at least 6 months before you are feeling good again.
Far too many teens suffer from other addictions. Smokers are made constantly aware of the effects of smoking. Drug users are also aware of the problems they will face if they don’t quit. Even alcohol addicts know the consequences. And yet they continue to hurt themselves. Addictions are extremely hard to break, and anyone who has ever been addicted to anything can testify to this. People
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