Overview of ADHD:
A condition in which a person’s behavior is affected is called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Restless, problem in focusing is usually seems in people with ADHD. Symptom of ADHD begins at the early childhood but become more prominent and noticeable when children went to school and their behavior changes. Cases are mostly diagnosed at the age of six and twelve. With the age symptoms improve in adulthood but some adults who have symptoms at their young age will constantly face problems. Some additional problems are also related to ADHD are sleep disturbances and anxiety disorders. Children have phases when they are restless and inattentive but that doesn’t mean they have ADHD. But you should keenly observe the activities and behavior of your child.
Causes of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:
No authentic cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is known but this condition usually run in family history. Researchers found a variety of differences in brain of people with ADHD during comparison with the brain without ADHD. Factors that are likely to be involved in developing of ADHD are:
- When the baby is born prematurely mostly before 37th week of pregnancy
- When the baby is born is very low weight
- Smoking of drinking alcohol during pregnancy is likely to develop ADHD in new born.
Children having any intellectual ability can develop Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but more commonly it is found in children with learning difficulties.
Sign and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: (1)
Sign and symptoms of ADBH are classified into two types according to behavioral problems that are:
- Inattentiveness
- Hyperactivity and impulsiveness
Some people experience both types of categories but always the case is not same. But usually have problem with inattentiveness but not with impulsiveness of hyperactivity. This type is also called attention deficit disorder (ADD). Attention deficit disorder usually get unnoticed due to the less obvious symptoms.
Symptoms of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Children and Teenagers:
Well defined sign and symptoms are observed in children and teens with ADHD, but remain unnoticeable before the age of six. Symptoms can be observed in school and home.
Inattentiveness:
Sign and symptoms of inattentiveness are:
- They have short attention time
- They can be easily distracted
- They make careless mistakes usually during school work.
- They easily forget things and lose their belongings
- They can not stick to the task that is tedious or time consuming
- They are unable to listen instructions carefully
- They face difficulty in organizing tasks
Hyperactivity and impulsiveness
Sign and symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness are:
- They are unable to sit still more specifically in calm and quiet environment
- Constantly fidgeting
- They are unable to focus on task
- Excessive physical movement
- Excessive talking
- They are unable to wait for their turn
- They act without thinking
- They interrupt during conversations
- They have little or no sense of danger
Such symptoms can cause a vital problems in the life of a child, like they can’t achieve positions in school, they have poor social interaction with other children in school and they have problem in following disciplines.
Sign and symptoms of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:
Symptoms are very difficult to identify in adults. And this is due to little research on adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is developing disorder, so it cannot appear in adults without having this disorder in their childhood. It is known that symptoms in adults are often persist from their early childhood to the teenage and then into adulthood. When children experience depression and dyslexia with combination of ADHD, this will for sure continue in their adulthood. At the age of twenty five about fifteen percent of adults are identified with ADHD but the range of symptoms in children are still high as sixty five percent children are affected with ADHD. Sign and symptoms of ADHD found in children are also applies to the adults having ADHD. But according to some specialist inattentiveness and hyperactivity seen in children may vary from the adults. Hyperactivity in adults is less as compare to children, whereas inattentiveness is high in adults and get worsen as compare to children. Symptoms of ADHD are subtle in adults than in children. Here are some sign and symptoms of adults according to the specialists that are:
- Carelessness
- Lack of attention in detail.
- They continue new task before finishing the old one
- They have poor organizational skills
- Inability to focus
- Inability to priorities
- They loose things or misplace them
- Forgetfulness
- Restlessness
- Edginess
- They have difficulty in keeping quiet
- They cannot wait for their turn to speak
- Blurting out responses
- They interrupt others during conversation
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Quick loose of temper
- They have inability to deal with stress
- Extreme impatience
- They don’t regard personal safety for themselves or for others like they drive dangerously.
Treatment of Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):(2)
Therapy:
Treatment of ADHD can be done by behavioral therapy, medication or with combination of both. Different types of therapies include psychotherapy or talking therapy. You can discuss with your doctor that how ADHD can be managed in talking therapy. Second therapy is called behavioral therapy. By this therapy you or children will learn how to monitor your behavior and manage it. Medications are also useful when you have ADHD. These medications affect the chemicals of brain that help you to control your actions and responses.
Medications:
Usually two types of medications are prescribed to treat the symptoms of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They are
- Stimulants
- Non stimulants
Stimulants of central nervous system (CNS) are usually prescribed for ADHD. They work by increasing the chemicals such as dopamine and norepineohrine present in the brain to control symptoms of ADHD. Examples of drugs in stimulants involve methyphenidate and amphetamine based stimulants.
If stimulant doesn’t work properly for you or your children and causes side effects then your doctor will prescribe non stimulants. These non stimulants will work by increasing the amount of chemical known as norepineohrine in the brain to control the symptoms. Examples of non- stimulant are atomoxetine and buprpion that is a anti-depressant. These medications have benefits along their side effects.
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