August 25, 2017 - ADHD
ADHD is a behavioral condition that is estimated by the Center of Disease control to affect 11% of children who are 4-17 years old.
Common symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Inattention may cause the person to procrastinate, be disorganized, lack focus, have trouble staying on task, disregard social rules and be forgetful. Hyperactivity causes children to fidget and squirm, get up and down frequently when working, climb or run inappropriately, talk excessively and struggle to sit quietly. Signs of impulsivity include having a difficult time waiting their turn, giving answers to questions before the other person is done asking, and bumping into objects. It’s important to know what to look for, and how to treat and prevent ADHD.
Causes of ADHD
There are many causes to ADHD. Some causative factors include pesticide poisoning either in the mom or the child, fetal alcohol and/or tobacco exposure, heavy metals like lead, cadmium, aluminum or mercury, and artificial food colorings. Other factors include sugar, TV and/or Video games, and deficiencies in Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
In terms of the birth process, prolonged labor, forceps delivery, epidural anesthetic, forceps or vacuum extraction, severe slowing of baby’s heart, period of uterine inertia, i.e. contractions stopped or slowed, cesarean section delivery because of lack of progress, the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck of a newborn, and oxygen deprivation, including hypoxia, anoxia, birth asphyxia, and perinatal asphyxia can lead to ADHD symptoms.
Also, a delay in sucking of more than 24-48 hrs, vomiting or spitting up after feeding, asymmetrical motion of arms or legs, spells of inconsolable crying and lack of sequence or missing stages in motor development going from: rolling over, crawling flat on floor, creeping on hand and knees, cruising around furniture, and walking at approximately one year, are signs of ADHD.
Other causes of ADHD include:
1. Genetics and congenital conditions
2. Dietary malabsorption, candida, food sensitivities
3. Immune imbalances, which may be caused by:
- Allergies
- dysbiosis (inadequate number of beneficial microorganisms in digestive tract)
- reactions to immunization
- overuse of antibiotics
- frequent illness
4. Endocrine imbalances
5. Toxicities
6. Retained primitive reflexes
7. Sensory-motor developmental problems
8. Vestibular, speech, language, and auditory problems
Is ADHD Overdiagnosed?
The diagnosis of ADHD has become increasingly common in recent years. While our ability to recognize symptoms and diagnose ADHD has improved, there are many cases of misdiagnosed ADHD. Some medical practitioners inadequately evaluate patients, particularly in circumstances in which the guardian pressures for a diagnosis and treatment. As a behavioral condition, diagnosis involves gathering information from several sources, including schools, caregivers, and parents. In addition, the health care provider should screen the patient’s medical history for other conditions that may affect the child’s behavior. If behavioral conditions are not consistent across environments, there may be certain environmental factors that create ADHD-like symptoms, without the child being ADHD.
If your child is experiencing ADHD-like symptoms, it’s important to seek medical advice from a doctor. There are many reasons your child may be experiencing these symptoms, including other medical conditions, nutritional deficiencies, environmental factors and hormonal conditions.
Conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed as ADHD
There are many conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed as ADHD.
Spinal misalignment can cause the nerves of the brain to fire inconsistently which can make the child behave in a hyperactive manner. Diabetes, especially in the early stages, can cause behaviors like anxiety or aggression. Heart disease which may cause lowered oxygenation to the brain which can cause ADHD symptoms.
Certain food allergies:
- Dyes
- Dairy
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Chocolate
Exotoxin or endotoxin exposure:
- Heavy metals
- Pesticide poisoning
- Gasoline fumes
- Mold
- Disinfectants
- Furniture polishes
- Air fresheners
- Herbicides
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
Metabolic disorders:
- low blood sugar
- thyroid imbalances
- adrenal burnout – this lowers the brain’s supply of glucose, which is what fuels the brain to be able problem-solve and focus normally.
Exposure from everyday products:
- lead from chipping paint, food products, and soil.
- mercury from dental amalgams
- aluminum from cans, cookware, antiperspirants and vaccine
- antimony from flame-retardants in sleepwear, bedding, carpets and textiles
- arsenic from pressure-treated wood used in playgrounds, fungicides, lead and copper alloy
- cadmium from cigarette smoke
- alloys used in plumbing.
In addition, issues in vision, audition, and motor sensory processing, sleep imbalances, genetic defects, Turner’s syndrome, sickle-cell anemia, and Fragile X syndrome can be misdiagnosed as ADHD.
Sometimes something as simple as an ear infection or PE tube can cause symptoms such as distractibility, trouble hearing or language delays that can be mistaken for ADHD.
Adult ADHD Vs Childhood ADHD
Children with ADHD exhibit different symptoms than adults with ADHD. Children diagnosed with ADHD show impulsivity, talk over others, interrupt conversations and fidget excessively. They also have a hard time finishing their work, are easily distractible and tend to make careless mistakes in their work.
Many adults with ADHD have learned to control their behaviors better because they have learned to restrain themselves in order to hold down a job, raise a family and interact more responsibly in social situations. However, some of these adults show a constant level of anxiety, and may gravitate towards high-risk activities, alcohol, drug abuse, sexual compulsion, poor money management, overspending, problems with authority and other socially unacceptable behaviors. As they continue to restrain themselves in social and work situations, they can suffer conditions like short-and-long-term memory loss, compulsive disorders and depression.
Common ADHD treatment methods
ADHD is commonly treated with prescription drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin. These drugs can be effective at controlling symptoms in the short-term, but fail to address the factors which are causing ADHD. In addition, each type of drug comes with the potential for unwanted side effects. If you experience these, you should consult with your doctor if the medication is right for you.
There are three primary forms of medications used to treat ADHD.
Stimulant drugs increase neurotransmitter levels and can raise your heart rate and blood pressure. These drugs include Concerta, Daytrana, Methylin, Ritalin, Aptensio, Dexedrine, Dextrostat and ProCentra. With these drugs, short-term side effects can include chest tightness, trouble breathing, anxiety, swelling in face and hands, itching, tingling in the mouth or throat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, fast or uneven heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, numb, cold, pale, or painful fingers or toes, seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there and seizures. Long-term side effects can include stroke, mania, psychosis, violence, suicidal thoughts, hostility, depression, and hallucinations.
Cognitive enhancing drugs improve mental function, lower blood pressure, and may balance mood. These drugs include Strattera, Intuniv and Tenex. Short-term side effects can include lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting, tremors, fevers, sweating, muscle spasms, and blurred vision. Long-term side effects include dark urine and/or pale stools, loss of appetite, stomach pains, and suicidal thoughts.
Antihypertensive drugs can treat high blood pressure, ADHD and cancer pain. The drugs include Catapres, Duraclon, Kapvay, and Nexiclon. These drugs can have short-term side effects that include hives, fever, sweating, restlessness, confusion, agitation, and vision changes. Long-term side effects include hallucinations, weight gain, and mental depression.
Treatment without drug therapy
Drug therapy can help reduce impulsivity, improve behavior and focus and reduce hyperactive tendencies. However, parents have plenty of options that do not include medications. Sometimes, children perform better by simply moving to a smaller school with lower stimulation in the classroom and reducing environmental stressors.
Other lifestyle improvements that may help cure ADHD include increasing natural light exposure, improving hydration and sleep, getting more physical exercise, reducing TV use and lowering worry and anxiety levels.
Diet-based ADHD treatment
To make adjustments to your child’s diet, it’s important to have an understanding of what they are deficient in. Over the span of a week, take note of what your child eats, analyze the micronutrient intake, and compare your findings with the RDAs of these nutrients. Certain deficiencies in particular have become increasingly common for children in recent years. These deficiencies can often be corrected by increasing consumption of prebiotics, probiotics, fish oil, glutathione, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, enzymes and methylated vitamin B12. Adding fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, turmeric, and ginger can also assist digestion and improve nutrient absorption.
Sometimes it can be helpful to remove food dyes, sugar, processed or GMO foods, gluten, dairy and corn from the diet. It can also be helpful to spread out vaccinations and support your child’s diet with supplementation.
How are ADHD and the gut connected?
The diet of your child plays an integral role in eliminating ADHD symptoms. The entire digestive tract is a living ecological community comprised of microorganisms called the microbiome. These are friendly bacteria that support a healthy digestive process. In other words, if the gut isn’t healthy, you have an increased risk of suffering from ADHD. Luckily, you can take proactive steps to improve gut health and thereby reduce symptoms.
First, prepare the gut to receive maximum nutritional benefit by eliminating foods that hinder nutrient absorption. If the digestive tract is not absorbing nutrients properly, even high intake of healthy whole foods may not eliminate symptoms. Artificial flavors, preservatives, sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, corn and GMO foods can all reduce nutrient absorption.
Then, increase the intake of high quality, whole, organic natural foods that include vegetables, fruits, proteins and healthy fats.
What to do if your child is diagnosed with ADHD
- Think outside the box. Each of us is already whole. See your child as a whole instead of looking through a hole. I like using an integrated developmental perspective. Be wary of therapists who work in isolated specialties and see their clients only through the lens of their specialty, not from a whole-system perspective. A wider view will help you find other paths you can follow. We get so absorbed in our electronics, the internet, and too-narrow focus that we often miss things that could really help!
- Do not aim for normal. Your child is more than a diagnosis and does not have to live out their diagnoses. Seek alternatives. You have a choice.
- Learn from epigentics. While risk factors are important and we have to consider and learn about them, we can also learn a lot from the science of epigenetics, which says that our genes are informed by our environment. We are more than our genetics.
- Explore your prenatal, birth, and bonding and attachment history. This can help determine structural impediments in the brain and fluid body. Once you have that information, doctors can design treatments to heal past traumas.
- Consider your family dynamics. While mainstream medicine tells us that the individual exhibiting difficult behavior is the “identified” patient, my experience is that the family’s relational energetics often perpetuates whatever is going on with the child. In other words – if the parents heal their issues, the child gets better!
- Learn about primitive reflexes. These include sensory-motor development, and vestibular, auditory, communication, speech and language processing.
- Master nutritional intelligence. We really are what we eat. This can help improve your child’s functioning on all levels.
- Imagine your child in adulthood as a creative, vital, independent being who is living out his or her passion! Once we can picture it, we can start to manifest it!