ADHD Tips

Millions of people are diagnosed each year with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While some adults have ADHD it is primarily diagnosed in children. Standard methods of treatment typically include drug medications that can have side effects. New research has found that fish oil can help minimize or alleviate the symptoms of ADHD. This adds to the hope that ADHD can be successfully treated with diet and supplements.

This finding is a result of an Oxford-Durham study of mainstream school children aged five to 12 years old with mild to moderate ADHD. The study was a treatment trial of the effects of fatty acids on childhood behavior and learning. The study was comprehensive with more than 12,000 assessments during the trial.

The study was random with some students taking a supplement of Omega-3 fatty acids while others took a placebo. After three months, those students who took Omega-3 had significant improvements in schoolwork. The study used performance assessments of motor function, reading and spelling along with teacher-rated attention symptoms. Teachers observed that the behavior of the children who took Omega-3 was improved over those who took a placebo.

The decrease in ADHD symptoms is an important finding showing that Omega-3 supplements may actually help to improve or even eliminate many of the symptoms of ADHD. Deficiencies in Omega-3 may account for not only ADHD but also other similar diseases such as dyslexia and autistism. This is good finding for parents of children affected by these disorders.

The study shows a definite link between dietary deficiencies and increased incidence of ADHD symptoms. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce impulsivity, hyperactivity, short attention span and inattention. This gives new hope to parents who wish to treat their childrens ADHD through improved diet.

The first place to start is to consume foods with high Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are found naturally in fish such as salmon, cod, mackerel and sardines. Those who dont get enough Omega-3 through their diet should take an Omega-3 supplement. The study found that the results of the Omega-3 supplement were about the same as the results typically found in prescription ADHD medications.

The University of South Australia did a similar study and found that children who took Omega-3 supplements showed a decrease in the symptoms of ADHD.

Parents who are searching for a non-traditional treatment may want to consider giving Omega-3 supplements to their ADHD children. Omega-3 supplements are readily available at most pharmacies and drug stores. It is not included in typical daily vitamin products or multi-vitamin supplements. Always follow the label instructions and consult with your childs doctor before starting a new vitamin or supplement regime.

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The movement away from using stimulants and medication that includes stimulants for the treatment of ADHD has resulted in a growing market for alternative treatments. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has grown massively as a recognized illness in the past twenty years. What is surprising is that there is still a limited amount of treatments available which could be classed as ‘alternative’. What follows are four powerful non-medical treatments.

1. Brainwave Bio-feedback Training
2. Behavior Modification Therapy
3. Eating / Diet Interventions
4. Nutraceutical Medicines known as Extress and Attend

These therapies can be very helpful and give significant advantages in some situations. They are excellent when combined with the expertise of a counselor who has experience working with ADD and ADHD. Unfortunately many counselors will have little knowledge of working with people with these disorders.

“Attend” and “Extress” have both been found to be superb substitutes for stimulant treatment medicines. Both of these are complicated procedures, engineered so as to achieve optimum efficiency in brain activity in individuals experiencing problems with concentration, with overcoming rage, with impulse control, with listening and paying attention, or with hyperactivity.

EEG Biofeedback training which is also known to many as Neuro feedback, has been around for at least twenty years. In that sense it may be seen by some as old technology, but it has not stood still in that time. With the development of super fast computers the technology has grown into a recognised alternative treatment for healing of ADD. And over the time it has taken to enhance the methods, a huge amount of study has taken place into EEG Biofeedback. There are many websites and a wealth of information available on this including EEG Spectrum, and other treatment alternatives are also documented well.

Eating plans and diet improvements can also have significant constructive effects on people with ADD or with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Even though we are reluctant to accept that this involvement can be applied as effectively overall as either Attend and Extress, or a session of EEG Biofeedback methods, we certainly do consider that each person with ADHD should try diet involvement.

A lot of people with ADD and ADHD will be assisted by nutritional supplements. Among the most effective supplements are often Essential Fatty Acids also often known as Omega Oils. It is also important to use supplementary minerals such as Zinc. The “Attend” nutraceutical will provide the necessary fatty acids. You also get them in Borage Oil or Flax Seed Oil. They can in addition be found in fish, and you can just give your child more of tuna fish to eat.

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www.doctordavidclark.com Dr. David Clark THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS™ Functional Neurologist Functional Endocrinologist Vestibular Rehabilitation Specialist Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist 214-341-3737 ———————— Blog drclark.typepad.com ————————- Twitter www.twitter.com ———————- Facebook: budurl.com

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www.doctordavidclark.com Dr. David Clark THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS™ Functional Neurologist Functional Endocrinologist Vestibular Rehabilitation Specialist Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist 214-341-3737 ———————— Blog drclark.typepad.com ————————- Twitter www.twitter.com ———————- Facebook: budurl.com 214-341-3737 Dallas, TX

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become the fastest growing diagnosed disorder among children under the age of 18. Many children in countries such as the US, New Zealand and Australia are being prescribed medications at an alarming rate. As the FDA requires ADHD drugs to carry warning labels, the overmedication of children with ADHD is becoming a real concern.

Most ADHD drugs are stimulant that contain amphetamine. Various side effects have been reported from taking these drugs. Some of them tend to suppress feelings of any kind, making children unhappy. Some are addictive and prone to substance abuse. In some cases, depression can lead to suicidal thoughts or actions.

Ritalin is a common prescription medication for ADHD in children to help them concentrate better. The side effects of Ritalin include headaches, stomach ache, insomnia, dizziness, nervousness, weight loss and even cardiac arrhythmia. The effects of long-term use are not fully known however it has been linked to abnormal brain development and stunted growth in small children.

Adderall is another ADHD drug that combines various amphetamines. The common side effects of taking Adderall include dizziness, restlessness, insomnia, headache, dry mouth and weight loss.

The potential for addiction and abuse is the biggest cause for alarm in ADHD medications. Children, particularly teens, who take these medications without the supervision of their parents and doctors are more likely to misuse and become addicted to the drugs.

There are other types of treatment for ADHD, especially for less severe cases. One alternative treatment is to make dietary changes. There are specific allergy causing foods that can trigger or add to hyperactivity such as wheat, dairy products, sugar, soy and eggs. Avoid refined carbohydrates and processed foods. The latter tend to contain preservatives, coloring and artificial flavoring which can cause further behavioral problems. A dietician can help determine a proper diet plan for children with ADHD.

Herbal remedies are also available to treat ADHD and are effective for mild to moderate cases. These remedies do not come with the side effects and possible addiction that conventional prescription medications do. Behavior therapy is beneficial as it teaches children to cope in various situations. Children that understand how to react when they are frustrated, angry or misunderstood can learn to better control their behavior.

While there is no one treatment that works for every child, the right combination of treatment options can keep the symptoms of ADHD under control. Parents should be less accepting of conventional prescription treatments and should discuss ADHD alternative treatment options with their doctor. ADHD children who are prescribed medications must be monitored to prevent addiction and substance abuse.

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Almost every child seems to have a short attention span. It is natural for children to let their minds wander, but sometimes it is much more serious. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) appears in the early stages of a child’s life. Approximately 3 to 5 percent of children in the United States have ADHD, which equals about two million. There are different types of ADHD that vary by situation, making it difficult to diagnose. It is easy to believe that these symptoms will disappear on their own; however, ADHD usually remains into adult life.

Symptoms

1. Impulsivity: Inability to think before actions, difficulty restraining emotions, speaking inappropriately without thinking of the consequence, acting out regardless of possible punishment.

2. Hyperactivity: Constant moving or fidgeting, inability to sit still in class or stay quiet, overwhelming urge to touch or play with something.

3. Inattention: Incompletion of tasks, easy distraction by sights or sounds, failure to follow directions, forgetfulness.

Types of ADHD

There are two types of ADHD. Hyperactivity-Impulsivity ADHD does not always include inattention, but the inability to be calm and think rationally. Children with Inattentive ADHD seem to be easily confused, lethargic, and often appear to daydream. They are not hyperactive or impulsive, but have difficulty concentrating or focusing.

Diagnosing ADHD

Diagnosis is often difficult because many children display these characteristics. In order to have ADHD a child must fall into these guidelines:

• Behavior is detrimental to at least two aspects of a child’s life such as school, home, and social settings.

• Behaviors appear before the age of seven and continue for at least six months.

• Behavior is inappropriate to the child’s age.

Treatment

There are many different treatments of ADHD. The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD used medication, behavioral treatment, a combination of both, or community care. Medication and the behavioral treatment combined were found to be the best treatments for ADHD. Behavioral treatment attempts to organize the child and change his or her behavior. Ask your doctor to help choose what treatment is best for your child.

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ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common psychological disorder that often becomes perceptible once a child starts preschool. Millions of children are diagnosed with ADHD each year, many of them before the age of six. The most prevalent form of treatment is typically prescription medication, which may help to reduce the symptoms of ADHD so the child can function normally in a school setting. Unfortunately, drug medications are not without side effects and can be addictive. For these reasons, many parents seek treatment for ADHD through behavior therapy.

Behavioral therapy, also known as behavior management, is shown to have positive results on ADHD children. The goal of behavior therapy in ADHD children is to increase the desired behaviors. This is typically achieved through using positive reinforcements when the child acts appropriately. The first step of therapy is typically to improve the relationship between the child and the parents. This is coupled with providing negative consequences and positive reinforcements to help the child increase his or her interest in pleasing the parents.

Part of the success of behavior therapy for ADHD children lies in the active interest and support of the child’s parents. Parents need to take an active role in making the therapy work for their child. This includes making and following a game plan to which both parents need to use to help guide the child to success. Parents should discuss the ongoing therapy with the doctor to ensure that the program is working for their child.

One of the most important factors in using behavioral therapy is to identify the problem early and start treatment as soon as possible. Even very young ADHD children will benefit from some form of behavioral therapy. One problem has always been early detection of ADHD in children. In the past small children that had disciplinary problems may have been expelled and told to wait until they matured slightly to enter pre-school.

Recent studies have found that when behavior therapy is started very young it can be quite successful as an alternative treatment for ADHD. In a 5-year study conducted by researchers at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, 135 preschoolers with ADHD were treated with a variety of behavior-only therapies. After a year, researchers found that the children’s behavior and learning had improved by about 30 percent. The most effective techniques are based on consistency in rules and routine when dealing with good and bad behaviors.

In many cases, ADHD children can be treated successfully without the use of medications or through the use of reduced medication coupled with behavior therapy. ADHD children respond well the younger they are when they are diagnosed and treated. If you have concerns about whether or not your child is exhibiting symptoms of ADHD you should consult with a doctor. A qualified specialist can perform simple tests to determine if the child has ADHD and if so the severity of the condition.

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An ADHD patient can seem as if he is stuck in an endless cycle of uncontrollable behavior, unable to fit in socially or to rein in his hyperactivity and concentration.  As the symptoms of ADHD manifest, they can make even the most common daily routines nearly impossible to handle.  This makes life difficult for the patient and everyone around him.    

Lack of concentration, hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsiveness are all common symptoms of ADHD and they can get in the way of a child participating in school, taking part in group activities and even functioning as part of a family.  In order to facilitate these tasks, doctors routinely prescribe stimulant based medications to control symptoms.

While stimulant based medications such as Ritalin and Adderall can ease surface symptoms, in the long run they are not truly effective for the ADHD patient.  They do nothing to address the neurological imbalance which causes ADHD and they carry serious, even life threatening, side effects.

Fortunately, there are alternatives for those patients and their parents who don’t want to deal with standard medications.  In many cases, significant changes in behavior have been achieved by making simple dietary changes.  Eliminating natural stimulants such as sugar and caffeine can help to calm hyperactivity and in children with food allergies, limiting wheat and refined carbohydrates has resulted in improved focus and concentration.

Other techniques have been applied in order to modify behavior in the ADHD patient.   Auditory and neurofeedback methods help ADHD children to control their own brain activity and sharpen concentration.  Individualized activities such as learning a musical instrument allow ADHD children to increase focus and improve retention, making them feel better about themselves as they achieve positive results.  And massage therapy and yoga provide natural methods of calming to control physical twitching.

Another exciting alternative is the use of homeopathic remedies.   Drawing on centuries old theories and specially formulated using a blend of herbs and other plant based substances, these remedies go beyond the surface symptoms to address the neurological imbalance that causes ADHD.  The result is thorough and healing, without the side effects associated with standard medications.

With such natural ingredients as Hyoscyamus, Arsen iod, and Tuberculinum, homeopathic remedies have been proven to calm hyperactivity, improve focus, reduce impulsive and erratic behavior and ease physical twitching.  A natural solution is one of the most effective treatments for an ADHD patient because it is a safe, gentle alternative which creates positive results and peace of mind.

ADHD can be a devastating diagnosis to face, but it doesn’t have to become all consuming.  With the proper treatment, ADHD children can live full, happy, productive lives.  It’s a matter of doing your homework and finding the method or methods which work best for your child.  If you can manage that, then you can help your child to manage their ADHD and take back control of their life.

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The figures are out and they are startling to say the least ! It is now reckoned that about 10% of American children are kids with ADHD and that could be as many as 2.4 million children. Even more alarming is the fact that only about 50% of these have actually got diagnosed and are getting treatment. ADHD in small kids may seem a relatively minor problem but with figures like these, it does mean that there is an enormous pool of people who are going to carry ADHD into adulthood.

That means a high price in human and economic terms as the number of accidents due to impulsivity in driving, substance abuse, imprisonment and ruined relationships will inevitably rocket. Unfortunately a large number of kids with ADHD do not outgrow the disorder and hyperactivity, impulsivity and distractability will have an negative impact on their lives. They may call it by other names such as inability to stay on task or multitasking but the disorder remains.

Now that ADHD medication with drugs is a hot controversial issue, it is worth pointing out that in dealing with ADHD in small kids, there is a wide choice of alternative therapies and treatments available. At school, you can offer to be a parent volunteer and can also get informed on IEP and /or the 504 plan to make sure that your child is getting the best attention.

Why not consider learning a few strategies about

ADHD behavior therapy as your relationship with your child is key to him or her understanding the rewards and consequences of good and bad behavior. No ADHD drug can do that ! This strategy will help you to help your ADHD child to cope with tasks, organise his life, improve social relationships and learn what is acceptable behavior. Experts now say that this is the one most effective technique to deal with ADHD in small kids. The sooner we start, the better the results.

Exercise, diet and parental support can all have a positive impact on an ADHD child. Meditation using visualisation, music and nature has had some very good results. Children in Australia went through a series of lessons on meditation and there was a 35% improvement in symptoms such as hyperactivity, lack of focus and inattention. A lot of the children were able to go without medication or at least halve the dosages they were on.

ADHD in small kids has been hyped up so much that parents often get a diagnosis for ADHD before the age of five which is unwise to say the least. As regards treatment, ADHD homeopathic remedies are ideal for treating ADHD in small kids as there are no side effects and the health risks are non-existent.

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Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder is a developmental & behavioral disorder, usually suffered by children (mostly boys), sometimes adults as well. It can be characterized by poor concentration, distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsiveness which are unusual for a child’s age.

Know some more about ADHD (ADD) -

Two terms are used in this context – ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder). Earlier, the term ADD was used, then renamed ADHD, though ADD is still used to refer to a type of ADHD with no Hyperactivity.

Differences in the parts of the brain controlling attention and activity cause lack of concentration, and slowness in doing jobs. ADHD patients day dream, act impulsively, get hyperactive and restless and are easily distracted by sounds and sights.

What Causes ADHD?

Chemicals called ‘Neurotransmitters’ help send messages between different nerves cells in a human brain to co-ordinate different activities. Example, Dopamine, a neurotransmitter stimulates attention centers in the brain. Lower amounts of this chemical causes an imbalance, causing improper coordination of different brain activities. Doctors, not sure of the exact cause, believe it to be genetic. Based on the tips that ADHD is more common in boys & seen mostly in kids born premature, research continues.

Symptoms

Usually seen in childhood, ADHD cannot sometimes be diagnosed till teenage or even adulthood. ADHD patients –

1. Cannot stay focused on a task, are less attentive.

2. Keep changing activities, cannot finish tasks.

3. Become forgetful, lose track of things, cannot follow instructions.

4. Are easily distracted by things in the environment, become restless.

5. Cannot organize activities on their own, become careless.

6. Make restless movements of hands / feet cannot be seated quietly or engage in activities patiently, interrupt others.

Facts And Figures

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that about 4.4 million people of age 4-17 have ADHD as of 2003, 2.5 million people of the same age group undergoing treatment currently. Reportedly, 7.8% of school aged children suffered in 2003.

Treatment –

ADHD doesn’t have exact cure. Different patients need to be treated differently depending on whether the trouble is more on the attention side or activity side. Doctors usually treat with medication, counseling with the family & the patient, changes at schools to adopt particular learning styles.

What can parents do?

Handling kids with ADHD can be quite challenging but making a few changes at home can help. Setting a simple schedule and home rules for the child, helping him understand and follow them, rewarding good behavior and constant supervision, focusing on efforts and not grades and talking to his teachers all help in the longer run.

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