Archive for August, 2009

ADHD Children

ADHD – attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder – occurs in about 10% of children. It is also sometimes known as ADD (attention deficit disorder). ADHD children have trouble paying attention, staying focused and following instructions. They also sometimes have difficulty calming down or sitting still. These symptoms persist at home, at school, or in any setting.

The symptoms of ADHD in children fall into three basic categories: inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. ADHD children generally have trouble staying focused on specific tasks. They usually become distracted easily. ADHD children may or may not be hyperactive or energetic. They commonly lack the ability to control impulses.

Often, the symptoms and behaviors associated with ADD/ADHD go unrecognized. ADHD children get classified as badly behaved. Parents and teachers assume that the child is obstinate or rude, because he or she does not follow instruction or disrupts class. In reality, the child with ADHD cannot control these impulses.

If you suspect that your child may suffer from ADHD, seek the opinion of a medical professional. There is no test for ADHD, but a doctor can determine whether your child exhibits enough symptoms to be classified as having the disorder.

Keep in mind that the best treatment for ADHD is not always medication. Some ADHD children do respond well to medications such as Ritalin and Adderol, but others find that the side-effects of medication are too burdensome, or that the drugs are simply ineffective.

There are many alternative approaches to treating ADHD children which don’t involve medication. Diet and exercise can go a long way toward alleviating ADHD symptoms. Also, ADHD children need a lot of structure. Parents must remain clear, firm and consistent. You can help your child excel in school by providing your ADHD child with a quiet, isolated place for completing homework without distractions.

Not all children who exhibit the symptoms associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder actually have the disorder. Sometimes children act out at home or at school due to other distressing factors in the child’s life, such as divorce or a recent death in the family. Children with learning disabilities sometimes act out, out of frustration or to hide their learning delays. Also, some children are simply animated and rambunctious.

The difference between occasionally distracted children and children suffering from ADHD, is that ADHD children struggle with focus and attentiveness in every setting. Try as they might, they cannot sustain concentration nor control their impulsive behavior. For these reasons, ADHD children usually fall behind in school and often get in trouble frequently.

If you suspect that your child may have ADHD, don’t ignore the symptoms. ADHD is treatable and does not have to hold any child back from high achievement. 

Tags: adhd children, attention deficit, adhd

Comparing the Most Common Types of Migraines

There are currently five well documented instances of migraines that are diagnosed more often than any other kind. Three of them are well worth studying in more detail, since they represent the most common complaints given by patients to healthcare professionals.

1. Children are most likely to experience abdominal migraines. It is uncertain if they are brought on by stress or nervousness, or if they simply occur as part of the neurological disorder. Like most other migraines they last from one to three days, and express themselves in abdominal pain that cannot be traced back to the ingestion of certain foods or problems with bowel movements. There has been a fair amount of research that suggests that children who present at a young age with abdominal migraines will as adults develop different forms of the condition.
2. An acephalgic migraine is most closely associated with the tell tale headaches that accompany the disorder. Interestingly, an acephalgic migraine itself does not present with headaches as a symptom and it is only later that a patient will graduate to experiencing the kinds of migraines that actually are accompanied by headaches. Acephalgic migraines do show up with sudden bouts of nausea and vomiting as well as heightened sensitivity to light, sound and scents.
3. Familial hemiplegic migraines are those most commonly associated with the famous migraine headaches. In many cases there are also serious motor skills impairments that may occur concurrently with the headaches.

It is uncertain why a migraine may choose to express itself abdominally in youth, only to later on find different modes of expression. In the same vein, the fact that migraines do not have to be accompanied by headaches at all makes the condition somewhat hard to diagnose and understand, especially since so much mainstream knowledge centers on the presence of headaches concurrently with other symptoms.

The one commonality that the conditions share, however, is the one to three day timeframe that the different kinds or migraines may linger. The severity of the pain may differ – even from incident to incident – but there are thus far no reports of any migraine attack lasting longer than 72 hours. A blessing in disguise, it also provides a most valuable tool for the diagnosis of the condition.

It is crucial for sufferers to visit a physician and discuss the possibility of suffering from migraines early on. Different symptoms require different treatments, and in some cases there are actual dangers associated with the use of pain killers that might work well for some forms of migraine pains and symptoms. Only a physician skilled in the treatment of this condition can ascertain which medications are safe to use and which carry the highest likelihood of successfully seeing the patient through the episode.

In some cases primary care physicians are not sure that they can meet the needs of a migraine patient, and it is not uncommon for the patient to receive a referral to a specialist. This professional will then take over the treatment of the migraines. 

Tags: types of migraines, abdominal migraines, acephalgic migraine, hemiplegic migraines, migraines