ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
This common disorder is usually referred to as ADHD. It primarily afflicts children and adolescents and typically starts between the ages of 3 to 7. About 7% of American school age children are affected but the disorder persists into adulthood in many individuals. Many more boys are affected than girls. Some children may have only one of the two main components of this disorder (either attention problems or hyperactivity). Attention deficit is characterized by short attention span, poor memory, poor listening skills, poor organization (loses things), difficulty concentrating, and possibly learning disabilities. Hyperactivity features are excessive talking, fidgeting, interrupting, incoordination, impulsivity, inability to sit quietly and disorders of speech and hearing.
The EEG (brain wave recording) may be abnormal and PET scans of brain show under activity of the prefrontal lobes of the brain. Risk factors for this disorder include a strong genetic influence, prenatal exposure to illicit drugs or alcohol, association with hypoglycemia, recurrent middle ear infections, heavy metal toxicity, thyroid resistance, multiple nutrient deficiencies (iron, B vitamins, essential fatty acids), food sensitivity, food additives, and chaotic family situations.
Conventional medical treatment does not look for any causes but simply gives the child stimulant medicines such as Ritalin. While these have been shown to help control the undesirable behavior, the side effects may include growth retardation (1-1 ½ inches), headaches, insomnia and drug addiction in older adolescents.
Alternative therapies show a considerable degree of success in many children. Eating a healthy whole food diet high in vitamins and minerals will also remove the adverse effects of sugar and food additives. Omega-3 fatty acids show evidence of being helpful in this disorder. Elimination diets (removing milk products, eggs, wheat, citrus, chocolate, sugar, peanuts, corn, any food with additives) followed for 2 weeks can improve functioning in over 50% of the children. Returning the removed foods one at a time can reveal which foods or additives are contributing to the problems.
Testing for heavy metals in hair and blood lead levels will show if this is a cause of problems. Removal by oral or intravenous chelation of heavy metals can markedly improve symptoms.
Herbs such as St. John’s wort, kava kava, gingko biloba, and valerian can be useful for their calming effect. Outdoor sun exposure and avoidance of fluorescent lights is worth trying.
If middle ear infections recur, they may be prevented by dietary changes, especially avoiding cow’s milk products. Frequent antibiotic use can cause Candida (yeast) overgrowth of the colon. This in turn leads to food sensitivities and generalized inflammation.
Children do best when they have a sense of security and order in their lives. Establish a regular routine of meals, rest, sleep, school and play. Avoid frequent TV and electronic game exposure and encourage time in nature. Avoid loud music with rapid and chaotic rhythms. Avoid known stimulants such as caffeine, chocolate, decongestants, and the neurotoxin aspartame (Nutrasweet artificial sweetener in diet drinks and foods).
Biofeedback of brainwave activity has research demonstrating a positive effect. Once the skill of how to modify brainwaves is attained, children can practice regularly to keep from developing symptoms.
Daniel Blodgett MD