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| Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD) |
Last updated: May 05, 2008 |
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Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD) |
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Signs, symptoms and indicators | Contributing risk factors | It could instead be... | Recommendations
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Many people are unable to sit still, plan ahead, finish tasks or be fully aware of what is going on around them. To their family, classmates or coworkers they seem to exist in a whirlwind of disorganized or frenzied activity. On some days and in certain situations they seem fine, often leading others to believe they can control this behavior. The disorder can adversely affect relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy and diminishing self-esteem.
ADHD, once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is a common mental disorder among children. It affects some 3-5% of all children - perhaps as many as 2 million American children. Two to three times more boys than girls are affected. On average, at least one child in every classroom in the United States needs help for the disorder. ADHD often continues into adolescence and adulthood, and can cause a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain.
At present, ADHD is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time. The most common behaviors fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADD (Attention Deficit/Deficiency Disorder) occurs when hyperactivity is not present. While it was previousely thought that Attention Deficit was primarily a childhood problem, it is now believed that only one-third of this population grows out of it.
Not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive or impulsive has an attention disorder. Are these behaviors excessive, long-term and pervasive, occurring more often than in most others the same age? Are they a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation? Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place such as the playground or the office?
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, there are three patterns of behavior that indicate ADHD, and someone may have one or more.
Signs of inattention include: - becoming easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds
- failing to pay attention to details and making careless mistakes
- rarely following instructions carefully and completely
- losing or forgetting things such as toys, or pencils, books and tools needed for a task.
Some signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity are:- feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming
- running, climbing or leaving a seat in situations where sitting or quiet behavior is expected
- blurting out answers before hearing the whole question
- having difficulty waiting in line or for a turn.
To be considered ADHD, the behaviors must have appeared before age 7 and continued for at least 6 months. In children they must be more frequent or severe than in most others of the same age. Above all, the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life, such as school, home, work or social settings. Someone whose work or friendships are not impaired by these behaviors would not be diagnosed with ADHD, nor would a child who seems overly active at school but functions well elsewhere.
Other conditions may produce similar symptoms resulting in an incorrect diagnosis. Anything from chronic fear to mild seizures can make a child seem overactive, quarrelsome, impulsive or inattentive. For example, a formerly cooperative child who becomes overactive and easily distracted after a parent's death is dealing with an emotional problem, not ADHD. A chronic middle ear infection can also make a child seem distracted and uncooperative. Living with family members who are physically abusive or addicted to drugs or alcohol can produce effects that may resemble ADHD, but are not.
In other children, ADHD-like behaviors may be their response to a defeating classroom situation. Perhaps the child has a learning disability and is not developmentally ready to learn to read and write at the time these are taught. Perhaps the work is too hard or too easy, leaving the child frustrated or bored.
It's also important to realize that during certain stages of development, the majority of young children tend to be inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive, and yet do not have ADHD. Preschoolers have lots of energy and run everywhere they go, but this doesn't mean they are hyperactive. Many teenagers go through a phase when they are messy, disorganized and reject authority but it doesn't mean they will have a lifelong problem controlling their impulses.
ADHD is a serious diagnosis that may require long-term treatment with counseling and medication. Medication-free methods should receive a trial before immediately beginning drug use. Identifying the problem can help people understand why they behave in these ways. This understanding can be an important part of coping with the disorder.
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 Signs, symptoms & indicators of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD): | | | | | | Symptoms - Metabolic |  Hyperactivity | People who are hyperactive always seem to be in motion. They can't sit still and may dash around or talk incessantly. Sitting still through a lesson can be an impossible task. Hyperactive children squirm in their seat or roam around the room. Or they might wiggle their feet, touch everything or noisily tap their pencil. Hyperactive teens and adults may feel intensely restless. They may be fidgety or they may try to do several things at once, bouncing around from one activity to the next. |
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Symptoms - Mind - General |
An overstimulated mind
Trouble concentrating| | People who are inattentive have a hard time keeping their mind on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. They may give effortless, automatic attention to activities and things they enjoy but find it very difficult to focus deliberate, conscious attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new. |
High spontaneity| | People who are overly impulsive seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act. As a result they may blurt out inappropriate comments or run into the street without looking. Their impulsivity may make it hard for them to wait for things they want or to take their turn in games. They may grab a toy from another child or hit others when upset. |
Counter-indicators:
 Low spontaneity| | People who are overly impulsive seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act. As a result they may blurt out inappropriate comments or run into the street without looking. Their impulsivity may make it hard for them to wait for things they want or to take their turn in games. They may grab a toy from another child or hit others when upset. |
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Risk factors for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD): | | | | | | Allergy | Allergy / Intolerance to Foods (Hidden)| | "3 decades in practice revealed how common allergies are with children. Most children with behavioral problems - and including children with all sorts of attention problems - have hypersensitivity to foods, and inhalants." Dr. Sidney Baker, MD, Connecticut. |
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Autoimmune |
 Gluten Sensitivity / Celiac Disease |
Childhood |
 (Severe) childhood hyperactivity |
Circulation |
Hypercoagulation (Thickened Blood) |
Environment / Toxicity |
Heavy Metal Toxicity| | In a 1996 study from the Archives of Environmental Health, the relationship between hair lead levels of children and their attention-deficit behaviors in the classroom was investigated. Scalp hair specimens were obtained from 277 first-grade pupils, while teachers completed the abbreviated Boston Teacher’s Rating Scale for rating classroom attention-deficit behavior, and parents completed a short questionnaire. “The striking dose response relationship between levels of lead and negative teacher ratings remained significant after controlling for age, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status,” the report noted. “An even stronger relationship existed between physician-diagnosed attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder and
hair lead in the same children.” Once again, “no apparent ‘safe’ threshold for lead” could be found with even the lowest exposures. |
Manganese toxicity |
Infections |
Lyme Disease |
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Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD) could instead be:
Recommendations for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD): | | | | | | Amino Acid / Protein |  Glutamine| | When children are deficient in GABA, they often feel the same anxiety and restlessness that makes adults drink, crave sweets or succumb to food binges. In children, though, this anxiety and restlessness is often labeled as Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. [Control Hyperactivity A.D.D. Naturally, by B.J. Sahely, Ph.D., C.N.C, p.46-47] Glutamine can increase the ability to concentrate for extended periods.
Other sources suggest tha glutamine may be contraindicated in ADHD. Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. |
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Animal-based |
 Fish Oils| | Fish oil improves the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) without any of the side effects of drugs like Ritalin and Concerta -- and more effectively, a study by the University of Adelaide in Australia found.
When 130 children between the ages of 7 and 12 with ADHD were given fish oil capsules daily, behavior dramatically improved within three months. Further:- After seven months, the children were not as restless and showed improvements at school
- Improvements in concentration and attention improved by one-third
- After 15 weeks, 30-40 percent of the children taking fish oil had improvements
- After 30 weeks, 40-50 percent improved
- Children taking placebo capsules were later switched to fish oil and subsequently also experienced improved behavior.
Improvements were still being seen after the study ended, which suggests the fish oils may have long-term effects. When the researchers compared their results to studies of Ritalin and Concerta for ADHD, they found that fish oils were more effective. [The Daily Mail June 20, 2006] |
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Diet |
 Food Additive Avoidance| | The belief that food additives can cause hyperactivity in children stemmed from the research of Benjamin Feingold, M.D and is commonly referred to as the Feingold Hypothesis. According to Feingold, perhaps 40-50% of hyperactive children are sensitive to artificial food colors, flavors and preservatives. They may also be sensitive to naturally-occurring salicylates and phenolic compounds in foods.
Dr. Julian Whitaker, MD has observed: "Feingold's assertion that food additives are a problem in learning disorders has been subject to great debate over the past two decades. Practices that are profitable carry on and major economic interests have responded by hiring their own researchers to combat the results. Questions are asked in ways that will produce answers that undercut the challenging work and please the funding interests." The media publishes "conflicting reports"; politicians and regulators cite this conflict as their reason for inaction. Habits do not change easily. Feingold's work has stimulated a classic example of such debate, because the American food supply and American agribusiness is profitably enmeshed in the use of food additives.
Dr. Feingold made his original presentation to the American Medical Association in 1973. His strong claims were based on experience with 1,200 individuals in whom behavior disorders were linked to consumption of food additives. Follow-up research in Australia and Canada has tended to support Feingold's thesis." [Dr. Whitaker's Guide to Natural Healing, Prima Publishing, 1996]
The Hyperactive Children's Support Group of Great Britain recommends that the following food additives be avoided:
Amaranth, Benzoic Acid, BHA, BHT, Brilliant Blue FCF, Caramel, Carmine, Carmoiic Acid, Cochineal, FCFV, Indigo, Potassium Nitrate, Quinoline Yellow, Red 2G, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Nitrate, Sulfur Dioxide, Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine,
Try to avoid foods, such as the following, with high salicylate content, to see if their removal causes a difference in behavior:
Almonds, Honey, Peppermint Tea, Peanuts, Peppers, Plums (canned), Prunes (canned), Raspberries (fresh), Strawberries (fresh), Tomatoes - and many spices, including Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Curry, Oregano, Paprika, Pepper, Rosemary, Sage and Turmeric. |
Sugars Avoidance / Reduction| | The results of several studies on sugar and ADHD points to the importance of meals higher in protein and complex carbohydrates and lower in sugar. The sudden release of insulin and drop in blood glucose caused by refined sugar consumption rapidly raises adrenaline levels and contributes to the behavior and attention problems of ADHD. When feed sugar, people with ADHD release only half the adrenal hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine that control subjects do. This is just one more reason why sugar consumption should be avoided. |
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Drug |
Conventional Drugs / Information| | Results of a study found that an extended-release form of methylphenidate - sold as CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl in the OROS delivery system) may be associated with a lower likelihood of abuse than immediate-release methylphenidate (sold as Ritalin). - Nov 3, 2006.
"The abuse of prescription stimulant medications is a growing concern among physicians who prescribe these medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and parents of children and teens who rely on these treatments to restore normal function," said Edward Sellers, M.D., Ph.D., an investigator on this study and professor of Pharmacology, Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. "Our study suggests that slowing the rate of drug delivery through the extended-release OROS technology may decrease the likelihood of abuse." |
GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate)| | GHB has been report to help decrease hyperactivity and learning disabilities in some children. |
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Extract |
Glyconutrients| | Individuals have reported that the addition of a “gummy bear-like” food made with vine-ripened fruits and vegetables and certain sugars (that are now termed necessary sugars) improved the behavior of children with attention deficit disorder/hyperactive syndrome. Further study is needed, but a glyconutrient product is worth trying. |
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Habits |
Sunlight / Light Exposure| | ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2007) — Scientists at John Carroll University, working in its Lighting Innovations Institute, have developed an affordable accessory that appears to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Their discovery also has also been shown to improve sleep patterns among people who have difficulty falling asleep. The John Carroll researchers have created glasses designed to block blue light, therefore altering a person's circadian rhythm, which leads to improvement in ADHD symptoms and sleep disorders.
How the Glasses Work
The individual puts on the glasses a couple of hours ahead of bedtime, advancing the circadian rhythm. The special glasses block the blue rays that cause a delay in the start of the flow of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Normally, melatonin flow doesn't begin until after the individual goes into darkness.
Studies indicate that promoting the earlier release of melatonin results in a marked decline of ADHD symptoms. Major uses of the blue-blocking glasses include: providing better sleep, avoiding postpartum depression, preventing Seasonal Affective Disorder and reducing the risk of cancer.
An alternative to the glasses has also been developed in the form of night lights and light bulbs with coatings that block the blue light. Instead of wearing the glasses, an individual may simply turn off ordinary lights and, instead, turn on the ones with filters that remove the blue rays. The night light is a convenient "plug-in" device. The cost of the items ranges from approximately $5 for light bulbs and night lights to $40-$60 for glasses. |
Aerobic Exercise| | The results of a study involving vigorous treadmill exercise and children suggests that aerobic exercise can improve symptoms of ADHD via dopamine release. [Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002 Feb; 34(2): pp.203-12] |
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Lab Tests/Rule-Outs |
Test for Food Allergies| | Allergies to one or more foods are often found in children with ADHD. Frequent offenders are milk, cane sugar, chocolate, American cheese, and wheat. [Annals Allergy Vol. 72, 1994, pp. 462-68] |
Test Copper Levels
Test Zinc Levels| | Hyperactive children may be deficient in zinc, manganese and vitamin B6 and have an excess of lead and copper. |
Test for Manganese Levels
Test for Heavy Metals| | Please see the reference cited on the page describing ADD / ADHD (the link where it says "...click here to see full details and recommendations on our web site.") regarding the presence of lead. |
Test Essential Fatty Acid Profile |
Mineral |
Magnesium| | Magnesium is often given as part of a treatment for hyperactivity in kids, usually along with vitamin B6. |
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Miscellaneous |
Reading List| | Two books that could appear on any suggested reading list for ADD include:- ADHD: A Path to Success - A Revolutionary Theory and New Innovation in Drug-Free Therapy (1998) by Lawrence Weathers and Kelsey Loughlin presents a revolutionary theory that helps parents see through their ADHD child's eyes. Their high rate of success is based on learning how your child's ADHD is not a deficit, but a highly refined skill that helps them survive.
- Driven to Distraction - Recognizing and coping with Attention deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood (1995) by Edward Hallowell, MD and John Ratey, MD is a readable and helpful paperback.
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Nutrient |
DMAE| | DMAE helps alleviate the behavioral problems and hyperactivity associated with ADD. |
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)| | Studies show that low DHA intake in infancy can lead or contribute to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A preliminary double-blind placebo-controlled trial found some evidence that a supplement containing fish oil and evening primrose oil might improve ADHD symptoms [Presented at 2nd Forum of European Neuroscience Societies; July 24-28, 2000; Brighton, United Kingdom].
In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of children already using stimulant therapy, the addition of the essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 4 months failed to further improve symptoms. [J Pediatr. 2001;139: pp.189-196.] It remains to be confirmed whether DHA will provide any benefit in those not using stimulant therapy. |
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Physical Medicine |
Manipulation| | Some chiropractors believe that ADD is commonly caused by an occiput that is jammed too far forward on the cranial base, caused as a common result of any sort of birth trauma, even when minor. As many as 60% of children with ADD are claimed to have this mechanical problem and a high percentage experience improvement with adjustment. |
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Vitamins |
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link | | | Proven definite or direct link | | | Strongly counter-indicative | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
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