Treatment Options for ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is categorized as a group of behavioral symptoms which include hyperactivity, impulsiveness and inattentiveness. The symptoms of this problem with start to appear in the very early and as the circumstances and surroundings change, the behavior also starts to change and they become more noticeable. These symptoms are very common between the age of 6 years to 12 years. Along with the symptoms of ADHD, the patients are likely to experience other health issues like insomnia and anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD often differ between child and adult patients. For instance, in child ADHD patients, symptoms may include:
- Anxiety disorder
- Depression
- Oppositional Defiant disorder
- Epilepsy
- Conduct disorder
- Sleep problems like insomnia
- Difficulty in learning anything new
- Tourette’s Syndrome
While symptoms in adult ADHD patients may overlap slightly, but are more commonly:
- Carelessness
- Lack of organizational skills
- Forgetfulness
- Edginess
- Restlessness
- Unable to concentrate on anything new
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Speaking too much
- Unable to take stress
- Impatience
- Risk taking
Although the exact cause of ADHD is still unknown, a possible set of factors have been identified. Possible causes for ADHD include:
- Genetics
Genetics is one of the main and the common cause of ADHD problem. It is from the parental genes that you inherit this problem. In many researches, it was proved that people who have siblings or parents with this problem are more prone to inherit this disease.
- Brain structure
The brain structure and functioning of the normal people is different from that of those suffering from ADHD. For example, certain parts of the brain are large, while certain parts are small in ADHD patients.
- Birth issues
Premature babies are also prone to ADHD as well as babies born with low birth weight. In addition, any kind of damage to the brain when in the womb or in the first few days after birth, can affect ADHD development.
- Substance abuse
Excessive smoking and alcohol during pregnancy may also affect development in children.
Diagnosing ADHD
Adults or children with any of the above symptoms and risk factors, who suspect they may have ADHD should consult a medical professional. Doctors typically diagnose ADHD by asking certain questions about the symptoms that exist, how long the patient experienced these symptoms, when these symptoms began, if the symptoms are affecting quality of daily life, and if a certain life event may have triggered the symptoms.
Based on the answers provided by the patient, the doctor will recommend an ADHD treatment plan based on one or a combination of the following:
- Medication
The first option for the ADHD treatment is prescription medication. Depending on the symptoms that you are facing and other conditions, your doctor is going to prescribe you certain medicine. The patients need to ensure that they take the medicine regularly and only as directed by the doctor.
- Therapy
The next treatment option is therapy or counselling. There are different kinds of therapies available for ADHD, such as behavior therapy, psychoeducation, social skills training and many more.
- Dietary changes
Changes in diet is also a part of the treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Most patients respond best to a balanced diet that features healthy, fresh foods, lean protein, and avoids processed foods made with refined sugars, additives, and trans fats.
