ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER otherwise known as ADHD is the umbrella term used to describe children who are:
- Inattentive.
- Impulsive.
- Easily distracted.
- Hyperactive (i.e. never sit still).
- Unable to concentrate.
- Experience difficulty with hearing, memory, speech, co-ordination and thinking.
- Emotionally unstable with neurological and perceptual motor impairments.
Parents of children with ADHD are often at a loss as to why their child is experiencing these symptoms and what can be done about them. According to U.S. figures boys are ten times more likely to develop ADHD and prescriptions for the anti-ADHD drug Methylphenidate (Ritalin) goes into the millions worldwide. MAO Inhibitors can also be prescribed for ADHD and while children do show an improvement on these drugs, the side-effects can be quite distressing (i.e. diarrhoea, restlessness, sleep disturbances, headache, constipation, nausea, anxiety, dry mouth, etc.).
Treatment of ADHD with natural medicine, nutrition, dietary and lifestyle advice is designed to get to the root cause of the problem and fix it at that level. This effectively enables the body to re-balance itself. Simply medicating the child's symptoms with drugs provides no real benefit in the long run for children with ADHD. They simply carry these health problems over into adult life which can lead to substance and drug abuse, car accidents, etc.
Numerous clinical trials and research papers have confirmed that ADHD sufferers have underlying disorders such as altered brain glucose metabolism and dietary and lifestyle practices which exacerbate the disease. Obesity and genetics is also associated with ADHD. Other factors such as food allergies, the presence of heavy metals, thyroid dysfunction and inflammation are also associated with ADHD.
Deficiencies of nutrients such as essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals are also closely associated with the expression of ADHD. Children who are prone to ear infections and have taken antibiotics to treat them, are also at increased risk of developing ADHD.
Parents of children with ADHD are often at their wits end trying to understand why their child is so difficult to manage. Naturopathic and nutritional treatment of ADHD children is based on developing a relationship with the parents and supporting them through the transition period to greater health and wellbeing for their child. Changes to the child's diet and lifestyle will be necessary and parents will be given ample opportunities to ask questions and receive information about how to do this successfully. The wonderful thing about natural and nutritional treatment is that there are seldom unwanted side-effects and once you and your child are aware of the factors which brought the ADHD about in the first place, you can all look forward to a happier and healthier future together.
ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (ADD) has a similar presentation to the above (ADHD) without the hyperactivity. The child is generally inattentive, lacks co-ordination and experiences learning difficulties, etc.
