What is ADHD? Do you know why such disease is caused? Well, it is a chronic disease caused due to ill functioning in certain areas of the brain of an individual. According to medical research, it is mostly seen in kids of age 4-17 years especially in boys and is found in the ratio of 1 in 67.
Some say it is a genetic disorder inherited from a person who is close to the individual may be a relative, but the actual cause is still a mystery. This disease is a long-lasting disease as it is directly related to brain. It is said that the structure of the brain is not proper and the part of the brain that controls all the activity is damaged in the person or kid suffering from this disease. This is the reason all the activities of the patients are weird and abnormal. Children tend to become disobedient and careless while adults become aggressive and forgetful. They experience restlessness and sleeping issues. The symptoms grow with the child and seem to change with age. Some of the facts mentioned above are so common in one that we cannot make out that a person is suffering from ADHD.
Symptoms
The three major symptoms of this disease are:-
- Inattentiveness-
- Lack of attention
- Lack of ability to concentrate
- Makes careless mistakes
- Unable to complete a task
- Becomes disobedient
- Hyperactivity-
- Overreact very soon
- Cannot sit still
- Not able to manage quiet activities
- Undergoes hearing problems
- Feel bored a lot of time
- Impulsivity-
- Unusual behaviour
- Act without thinking
- Feel impatient when dealing with slow people
- Frequent thoughts at a time
- Not able to understand other’s feelings
Diagnosis
When a person shows these symptoms regularly for six months or more, he/she is said to the victim of such a disease. ADHD is diagnosed by collecting information from various sources including schools, healthcare givers and parents. Moreover, proper physical test should be done including vision and hearing screenings and anything that may affect child’s health in future. Thus, a thorough examination is required in child as well as in adults. Some drastic changes may be found that could mimic ADHD like thyroid problems, sudden seizures, sleeping problems, anxiety, aggression, anger, depression, etc.
ADHD is easily diagnosed in children rather than in adults. Since the symptoms of this disease are common in both kids and adults, health care providers find it difficult to recognise the issue in adults. Some additional symptoms are found in adults such as-
- Forgetfulness
- Poor Organizational skills
- Employment Problems
- Short temper
- Restlessness
- Difficulty in finishing a task
- Low self esteem
If these issues are not resolved soon, they cause ESOA (Emotional, Social, Occupational, Academic) problems in adults. For proper diagnosis in adults, the other part of their life has to be known or found out i.e., their childhood history and tests like physical test, psychological test and neurological tests need to be carried out properly.
Treatment
There are many ways of treating this disease. The best way to treat is by medication. Nowadays, everyone prefers medicines as the patient gets recovered very soon. But the problem associated with medication is side effects. It causes stomach aches, weight loss, depression, insomnia and other problems. Due to this reason, people ask for other ways of treating this disease before going for medication. Natural remedy is usually advised by health care takers as there are no side effects if consumed and it is highly beneficial for human body in many ways. According to medical research, there are several natural remedies for this disease. These include:-
- Omega-3 supplements such as Fish Oil which is beneficial for proper functioning of human brain and these are anti-inflammatory. It increases concentration power and makes the brain sharper.
- B-complex should be consumed 50 mg daily. Vitamin-B should be considered to help with the formation of serotonin. Food related to vitamin-B should also be preferred.
- Best Quality foods like salads comprising of Salmon, spinach, apples, blueberries and walnuts. These helps in controlling impulsivity.
- Zinc, magnesium, Iron are the three main minerals which are vital for reducing the problem of inattentiveness to some extent. As a result, concentration power is increased and sleep problems are reduced. These minerals can be consumed daily in the form of food to get the best results.
- A herb called Pycnogenol (an extract of French Maritime pine bark) is found to improve Hyperactivity and inattentiveness by increasing vision power and concentration power. This herb is also rich in polyphenols (Antioxidants) that protects the brain cells from being damaged.
- Rhodiola Rosea is made from the same plant which is mostly found in Arctic. Such type of herb helps in increasing accuracy, forgetfulness & alertness. It is beneficial for people who usually becomes slow in their work and cannot compete as well as complete the task on time.
Apart from all these natural remedies, therapies have also played a vital role in treating ADHD patients and have proven to be successful. Some of them are as follows:-
- Physical Therapy– The term indicates physical fitness that a person suffering from ADHD has to do daily. In this, patients are advised to work out and exercise daily so that they can develop their learning power, concentration power, hearing skills, etc.
- Behavioural Therapy– The children with ADHD are judged by their behaviour. This behavioural issue can generally be controlled and guided by their parents. For this, parents have to follow certain steps like writing rules for them on a paper and asking them to follow each day; make them understand what the consequences can be if they do not follow the rules as children are not aware of their doings in this disease.
- Speech Therapy– Speech problem is a common issue faced by such victims and such problems are treated individually as it varies differently from person to person depending on the requirement. As it is treated individually, physicians keep on focusing on language improvement and teaching better communication skills in certain socialized conditions.
Due to such therapies, it becomes more easy for a child to recognize himself and he starts recovering and ADHD is minimised to some extent. It is advisable for parents to visit a Special Educator for proper guidance related to the above mentioned therapies.
Tips for Parents
Parenting a child with ADHD is a very difficult task to be performed. Parents are an inevitable support for such children. As a parent, you should be able to handle your child in every manner in the best possible way. This can be a challenging for you. You may need to change the atmosphere at your home a bit for helping your child. Some of the tips helpful for parents are:-
- Never leave your child alone. Children with ADHD when left alone become very depressed and lonely, increasing impulsive nature which can prove to be very dangerous. You should always keep a watch on your child every time when he is alone or with his friends because they are never social. They will get very distracted very soon.
- Set home rules. Make sure you follow “Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” trend. Wake up in time and have healthy breakfast and do whatever you feel like but it should be in particular time. Playing games, watching television, doing homework and going to bed should be well explained to the child in the righteous way.
- Stay focussed. Listen to your child as much as you can. Encourage them in their abilities and work they do. Try creating positive attitude in them so that they get to learn more.
- Give the level of comfort they deserve. Pick a place they are comfortable with for spending time with them. Set the routine and write it somewhere so that they can see, understand and remember.
These are some of the facts about ADHD that one should know in to be able to handle it smartly. We hope you find this information useful. Take proper care of your child or anyone who is suffering from this disease and see the difference.