Coach Splendorio's Health Class

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You see it in movies all the time. Some guy gets hit right in the privates. Yow! If you're a boy, you probably already know your penis and scrotum are sensitive. Why? And more important, what do you do if you're having pain or another problem "down there"? Let's start with some definitions. You might have grown up calling it something else, but penis (say: PEE-niss) is the official word for this part of a boy's body. The scrotum (say: SKRO-tum) is the sac that hangs below and holds two small organs called testicles (say: TESS-tih-kulz). The bones of your ribcage protect your heart and lungs. Muscles protect other internal organs, like your liver and kidneys. But unless you count your underwear, there's no protection for a boy's penis or scrotum. This area also has a lot of nerve endings which make it extra-sensitive, so if a soccer ball accidentally whams into a boy in that spot, it really hurts. Injuries Unfortunately, there are lots of ways for a boy to hurt his penis or scrotum. It can happen while he's riding his bike or playing sports. It can happen if someone bumps or kicks a boy there. Some sports require boys to wear athletic cups to protect that part of the body, but most of the time boys don't wear this kind of protection. The good news is that these injuries are not usually serious, though a boy will usually feel pain and even could be nauseated for a while. The testicles are loosely attached to the body and are made of a spongy material, so they're able to absorb most collisions without permanent damage. Minor injuries don't usually cause long-term problems. But it's a good idea to tell a parent if you get this kind of injury, just in case. If it's a minor injury, the pain should slowly go away in less than an hour. Meanwhile, your mom or dad could give you some ice to apply and some pain relievers to take. You also could lie down and take it easy for a while. Sometimes, the injury might be more serious. Make sure you tell a parent so you can see a doctor if: the pain is really bad the pain doesn't go away in an hour the scrotum is bruised, swollen (puffy), or punctured (has a hole in it) if the nausea and vomiting continue if you get a fever These are signs of a more serious injury, so seeing a doctor is a must. Other Trouble Down There It's also possible a boy might have pain in his scrotum or testicles, even if he didn't get injured or bumped. In that case, it could be an infection or other problem, so it's important that the boy tell his mom or dad. Another kind of problem is a urinary tract infection (UTI). They can cause burning when a boy pees. Rashes and other infections can make a boy feel itchy or cause pain in the private zone. The bottom line is that a parent needs to know so the boy can get medical care. What if a Boy Is Too Embarrassed? Lots of boys don't like the idea of telling anyone about a problem with their penis, testicles, or scrotum. The good news is that a boy doesn't have to tell everyone, like his whole class! He just needs to tell his mom, dad, or another adult who can get him to the doctor, if needed. It might be a little embarrassing, but if the problem isn't treated, it could get much worse and be really uncomfortable. We know one boy who found a tick on his scrotum. Good thing he told his mom and she could remove it. That was one rude tick!

Ever wish you could be as muscular as a superhero or your favorite professional athlete? Well, the big muscles you're thinking about aren't possible for kids. Superheroes, of course, aren't real, and professional athletes are grownups, whose bodies are different from kids' bodies in many ways.

Boys, especially, might wish for bigger muscles, but their bodies can't build that kind of adult muscle until they're older. On the bright side, both boys and girls can do a lot to build strong, healthy muscles. Let's find out how.

Playing Makes Muscles
It sounds too simple, but it's true. Playing, running, jumping, and riding your bike can make your muscles stronger. Any physical activity you like to do from dancing to playing football can make you stronger. Why? Because you're using your muscles when you do it.

Eat Strong
What should you eat if you want strong muscles? You might think you need a lot of foods that contain protein (such as meat and eggs) or foods that contain iron.

But no one magical food helps build muscles. Your muscles and your entire body will be strong and healthy if you eat a variety of nutritious foods.

Should You Pump Iron?
Some kids want to lift weights so they can look bigger and stronger. But lifting weights won't produce big muscles in kids who haven't gone through puberty yet, and lifting heavy weights can be dangerous to kids' muscles and tendons.

With supervision from a coach or trainer, kids can do some light weightlifting or exercise with resistance bands (large rubber bands). This kind of exercise can improve muscle tone, meaning a kid's muscles will be leaner and stronger, but not really bigger.

Push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups also help build strong muscles. But so can plain old running, jumping, and climbing.

Get the message? More playtime means stronger muscles. Now that's something to get pumped up about!

You're at the high school baseball game with your friends, and you see your big brother's friend Justin in the dugout drinking from a water bottle. With every sip he takes, a big bump moves up and down on the front of his neck.

The boys your age don't have bumps like that, you think to yourself. And come to think of it, neither do any of the girls you know, no matter how old they are. What's going on here?

When kids hit puberty, their bodies and minds go through tons of changes. One change that every kid can count on is lots of body parts growing and changing shape. Almost every part gets in on the growing action, including the larynx (say: LAIR-inks).

Another name for the larynx is the voice box, and it's in the throat. The larynx is what gives you your voice, whether you're talking, laughing, whispering, singing, or shouting. You can find your larynx by touching the front of your throat and humming. When you feel vibrations under your fingers, you've found it!

When the larynx grows larger during puberty, it sticks out at the front of the throat. This is what's called an Adam's apple. Everyone's larynx grows during puberty, but a girl's larynx doesn't grow as much as a boy's does. That's why boys have Adam's apples. Most girls don't have Adam's apples, but some do. It's no big deal either way.

But why is it called an Adam's apple? If you think it's called that after the story of the Garden of Eden where Adam ate a piece of the forbidden fruit that got stuck in his throat, you're right. An Adam's apple sometimes looks like a small, rounded apple just under the skin in the front of the throat.

This larger larynx also gives boys deeper voices. Actually, girls' voices get a little bit deeper as their larynxes get larger, too. But because boys' larynxes grow so much more, it makes their voices deeper than girls' voices.

The larynx doesn't grow to its new size overnight, though. If you've ever heard a teenage boy's voice sound squeaky, you've heard a larynx trying to get adjusted to its new size!

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