ADHD

OVERVIEW ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER [ADHD]

A common neurodevelopmental disorders emerged in early age. despite getting diagnosed in childhood it lasts long even when one enter into adulthood.It’s usually spotted during the early school years, when a child begins to have problems paying attention.. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children. Boys are more likely to have it than girls. 

CAUSES : There is no clear cut causes for ADHD, but bases of abstracts of theories

• Genes. ADHD tends to run in families.
• Brain chemicals. These may be out of balance in people with ADHD.
• Brain changes. Areas of the brain that control attention are less active in children with ADHD.
• Dietary factors: food additives, sugar, food sensitivity, Mineral deficiency (is debateable casuse by some experts)
• Tobacco : Exposure to tobacco before birth.
• Digital media :  Frequent use of various forms of digital media like spending a lot of time on social media or playing video games)
• Most experts agree that ADHD is a medical or neurodevelopmental disorder.
• Many experts believe there is an inherited imbalance of chemicals in the brain.
• It is possible that some children have mild changes in behavior and attention in response to certain foods or food additives.

SYMTOMS

Children with ADHD may have trouble in

1. Paying attention
2. Controlling impulsive behaviors
3. Hyperactive.
4. Over Talkative
5. Anxiety
6. Learning disabilities,
7. Disruptive Behavior Disorders 
8. Ooppositional defiant disorder [ODD]
9. Conduct disorder [CD]
10. Mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder). 

With age symptoms at times fail, but Symptoms can range from mild to severe.

The symptoms cab be categorised as per following 

Inattentive. child with ADHD:

Gets easily distracted
Difficulty In Completing assigned task tasks
Does not listen
Does not  pay attention
Making careless mistakes
Forgets about daily activities
Has problems organizing daily tasks
Doesn’t like to do things that require sitting still
Often loses things
Tends to daydream

Hyperactive-impulsive. child with ADHD:

Often squirms, fidgets, or bounces when sitting
Doesn't stay seated
Has trouble playing quietly
Is always moving, such as running or climbing on things. (In teens and adults, this is more often described as restlessness.)
Talks excessively
Has trouble waiting for their turn
Blurts out answers
Interrupts others

Adults ADHD  Symptoms of ADHD may change as a person gets older. They include:

Often being late or forgetting things
Anxiety
Low self-esteem
Problems at work
Trouble controlling anger
Impulsiveness
Substance misuse or addiction
Trouble staying organized
Procrastination
Easily frustrated
Often bored
Trouble concentrating when reading
Mood swings
Depression
Relationship problems

ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS

Limit emotional, academic, and behavioral difficulties.

RISK FACTORS

Various risk factors as per research and studies, Some affect a baby’s brain development during pregnancy:

1. Poor nutrition
2. Infections
3. Smoking
4. Drinking
5. Substance abuse

Factors in brain development post birth include:

1. Premature birth
2. Toxins, such as lead
3. A brain injury or a brain disorder. Damage to the front of the brain(frontal lobe).
4. “Western” diet. One study found that children who ate a diet high in added sugar, fats, and sodium and low in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids had a greater chance of ADHD.
5. Nutritional deficiencies
6. Food additives. Connection between food coloring additives and preservatives and ADHD, can exist in children already in high level of risk for the condition.
7. Family income. Drop in income of family have a greater chance of having ADHD.

TREATMENTS

This is supported by the improvements often seen with the use of medications that affect these chemicals.

STATISTICS

Approximately 8 to 10 percent of children aged 4 to 17 years have ADHD, making it one of the most common disorders of childhood.