Adhd / Add - What Is It? What Are The Symptoms? What Treatments Are Available?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (often shortened to ADHD or ADD) is disorder

, which is most prevalent in children, but which can also affect adolescents and adults. It has always affected a minority of people, but it is only relatively recently that it has been recognized as an official medical condition.

Symptoms of ADHD / ADD can include:

- Being easily distracted

- Being very impatient

- Becoming bored with tasks after only a few minutes

- Difficulty in learning new things

- Not seeming to listen when being spoken to

- Being easily confused

- Struggling to follow instructions

- Having trouble with staying in one place for more than a short period of time

- Often interrupting conversations

Most people display one or more of these symptoms at one time or another, but suffers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder display various combinations on a near daily basis. Symptoms tend to first show themselves between the ages of 3 and 6, but the disorder is difficult to diagnose because symptoms vary from person to person, and lots of them are not unusual behaviors for young children, who often just grow out of them as they get older.

There is currently no single test that can be used to make a ADHD / ADD diagnosis. Rather, a licensed health professional needs to gather and analyze information about the person, their behavior and their environment. Only by assessing a person based on their own specific circumstances, can a proper diagnosis be made. If a positive diagnosis is made, then further analyze will be carried out to determine which of the three subtypes (predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, or combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive) of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder the person is suffering from.

No-one is sure what causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, although research suggests that genes have a significant impact. However, as with most other conditions and illnesses, it probably results from a combination of factors, rather than just one or two. Other factors that may play a role include brain injuries, social environment and nutrition.

Treatments for ADHD / ADD (a combination of medication, psychotherapy and education) are available which can relieve many of the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but an outright cure has yet to be discovered. With treatment, most sufferers can be successful and lead productive lives. So long as they receive guidance from medical professionals, and understanding from those around them, there is nothing to stop those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from reaching their full potential.

by: Mark Walters

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