Monday, July 1, 2013

Important Facts On ADHD Dallas Parents Need To Know

By Estela Bolton


ADHD is the abbreviated form for attention deficit hyperactive disorder. As suggested by the name, the characteristics include hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Most of the affected persons are children. Many children present with a varying degree of these symptoms but it only in those that the behaviour is inappropriate for age that a diagnosis is made. There are a number of important facts on ADHD Dallas residents may wish to know if they are dealing with the condition.

Statistics show that between 2 and 5% of adults are affected. Half of them involve those in whom the disorder has persisted from childhood. The presentation in adolescences adults is a bit different from what is seen in children. These persons are seen to be restless rather than hyperactive. They often have difficulties in establishing interpersonal relationships both within the family unit and at the workplace.

The condition is generally divided into three different subtypes depending on the symptomatology. The first type is known as the combined type and includes symptoms of both hyperactivity and inattentiveness. The second type is referred to as the inattentive type and this type is mainly characterised by impaired concentration. It was previously called attention deficit disorder, ADD. The third is the hyperactive-impulsive type that has hyperactivity but inattentiveness is not seen.

The exact cause of the disorder is yet to be established. Several theories have been suggested in an attempt to explain the pathophysiology. One of them claims that the cause of the symptoms is shrinkage in brain volume that mainly affects the prefrontal cortex of the left brain causing frontal lobe dysfunction. The other part of brain affected is cerebellum. Another explanation involves abnormalities in the dopamine neurotransmitter that affects the response to various types of stimuli.

A number of predisposing factors have been established. Among these, the greatest of them are mainly genetic which contribute to about 76% of the cases. Environmental factors also play a role but a minor one. These are considered right from the time of conception, for example, exposure to alcohol and tobacco result in symptoms that closely resemble those of ADHD. Other chemicals that need to be avoided include organophosphates, lead and dialkyl sulphate.

ADHD is frequently found to co-exist with other disorders. This represents about 70% of cases (only a third occur singly). Whenever the conditions are co-existent like this, diagnosis and treatment are difficult. They have to be diagnosed and managed separately. Examples include conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder, mood disorders, oppositional defiant disorder and sleep disorder

There are a number of drugs available for treatment of the condition. The one thing that they all have in common is that they are all stimulants. Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant that may be used as an alternative. These drugs are contraindicated in pre-school children. Their main side effects include mania and drug-induced psychosis. For this reason, they should be stopped intermittently so that assessment of side effects can be done. Tendency for abuse and dependence is quite high. Zn supplementation has also been found to be useful.

If they wish to get individualized advice on ADHD Dallas residents need to work closely with specialists in psychiatry. They will be given more options on how to handle the condition. The fortunate thing is that most patients will recover with proper management.




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1 comment:

  1. My colleague with ADHD told me I should give the INK FOR ALL text editor a try http://bit.ly/2DWi1K9 Features like the fact that its possible to hide recommendations on spelling and grammar never break my concentration, it's helped me be way more productive. This seemed like a good place to recommend it, maybe someone else has the same issue

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