Symptoms of puberty in boys

What is Puberty

Puberty is a process in which the child’s body is being transformed into the body of an adult, which usually takes 2 to 3 years and sometimes even longer. Boys’ testicles start producing testosterone, a hormone that makes the boy’s body grow taller and change its shape. It also results in sperm production in testicles. Puberty is the change that affects everyone but it can start at the different time. Normally boys between 10 and 15 years old start undergoing this change, but for some it may take place earlier or later than that.

Puberty Signs

One of the first signs of puberty is hair growth. Light and scattered hair will appear under arms and in the area around the penis though with time it will turn darker and thicker and start growing on the legs, even chest and back. Facial hair first appears above the upper lip, then on the sides of the face and the chin. As the oil begins to build up in skin pores, acne may appear on the face, back, chest and neck. The body grows taller about 4 or more inches each year, and in this period, boys can expect to gain 30 or more pounds. Puberty will also cause the shoulders to become wider and chest broader.

Boys gain muscles and get stronger and better coordinated. Breast may also become slightly full or tender in the beginning, but they get flatter once puberty ends. Early in puberty, hands and feet get longer and wider, and some body parts like arms and legs, grow faster than others so the boys can become self-conscious about their looks. Testicles and scrotum grow larger and become coarser and darker and start hanging loosely. Penis becomes longer and thicker.

In this population-based cohort study, 14 759 of 22 439 invited boys and girls born from 2000 to 2003 in the Danish National Birth Cohort gave half-yearly self-reported information on puberty from the age of 11.5 years and throughout puberty. This late start of follow-up limits the estimation of age at onset of puberty but not later pubertal milestones.

We estimated mean age at attaining the following pubertal milestones in years with 95% confidence intervals (CI): age at menarche, voice break, first ejaculation of semen and Tanner stages for pubic hair development and breast development or genital development. Further, the difference in mean age at menarche between mothers and daughters was estimated.

In boys, voice break occurred at 13.1 years, first ejaculation of semen occurred at 13.4 years, and Tanner Genital Stage 5 occurred at 15.6 years.
In girls, age at menarche occurred at 13.0 years and Tanner Breast Stage 5 occurred at 15.8 years. Daughters had menarche 3.6 months earlier than their mothers had.

✓ Fact confirmed: Timing of puberty in boys and girls: A population-based study Nis Brix, Andreas Ernst, Lea Lykke Braskhøj Lauridsen, Erik Parner, Henrik Støvring, Jørn Olsen, Tine Brink Henriksen, Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen; 2019 Jan;

As a result of a quick blood flow into penis, erections occur. They are caused by sexual thoughts or by seeing someone attractive, though sometimes, they occur without any reason. Waking up with an erection in the morning is normal. Nocturnal emissions, also known as wet dreams, though embarrassing at first for some boys, are perfectly normal. Ejaculating during sleep decreases with time and stops as the puberty approaches its end. The production of testosterone is to blame for the changes of a boy’s voice. Sometimes the voice will crack during speaking, but by the time puberty is over, it will become lower and deeper as the vocal cords grow thicker and longer. Hormonal changes cause the body to develop an odor and boys sweat more at this time.

How Puberty Affects Emotions in Boys

Puberty is also a turbulent time for an emotional life of a boy. He can feel awkward, confused or moody for no apparent reason, and arguments with friends and family are also common. Looks can cause some boys to feel uncomfortable or unhappy, especially if their friends are developing at a faster or slower rate. Boys start having sexual thoughts and fantasies at this time and may feel attracted to someone.

Instead of being with the family boys will want to spend most of the time with their friends and start to dress like them. Some may even feel embarrassed by their parents and not understand them at this age. Since this is a time of very fast growth it is important to give the body the nourishment and the rest it needs.