ADHD Disease

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disease. ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders in children. It is most often first diagnosed in childhood and can last into adulthood. As the name implies, a child and/or adult with ADHD may be overly active. Other signs and symptoms also occur.

Types

• There are three types of ADHD disorders; They are: predominately inattentive type (cannot finish a task), predominately hyperactive-impulsive type (fidgets) and combined type (shows symptoms of both types).

Causes

• The exact cause of ADHD is not known, but scientists surmise that it is genetic. A head injury, environmental exposure, alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, premature delivery and low birth weight are also suspected causes.

Symptoms

• It is quite normal for some children to exhibit the symptoms at one time or another. Children with ADHD do not outgrow these signs and may carry them into adulthood; difficulty paying attention, daydreaming, easily distracted, forgetful, always in motion, fidgeting, excessive talking, interrupting, not being able to keep quiet and speaking and acting with no regard to the consequences.

Misconceptions

• ADHD is not caused by eating too much sugar, by watching too much TV, parenting, poverty, or family chaos or crisis. Those things may make symptoms worse, but there is no evidence to link them as a direct cause.

Diagnosis

• There is no single test to diagnose ADHD. A full medical check up will rule out hearing, vision and/or health problems. Using the ADHD checklist for signs and symptoms, and consulting with parents, teachers and family doctors will help making a diagnosis.

Treatment

• Treatment for ADHD involves medications (stimulants and non stimulants) and behavioral therapy. Every child will respond differently, so every treatment will be different.