ADHD is an acronym for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Between 3 and 5 percent of school-aged children, or about 2 million children in the United States, have the condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Boys outnumber girls by at least a three to one ratio, according to National Mental Health Association.
There is no cure for ADHD, although children often outgrow it. When this occurs, the symptoms of ADHD disappear or so minor that patients no longer require treatment with medications.
Treatments for ADHD are often highly effective when taken as prescribed by a doctor. Tips to help deal with ADHD on a day-to-day basis include:
Provide structure. You can help your child to better cope with ADHD by providing structure to his or her life and making your expectations clear. Keep goals concrete and simple and try to avoid complicated instructions. Keeping children on a schedule of activities, including eating, sleeping, homework and play times, and encouraging children's efforts and good behavior can also help. You are urged to communicate with your child to make sure directions are clearly understood. You may want to ask the child to repeat your directions back to you to ensure that they fully understand them. All of these techniques can be improved during parenting skills training.
Understand ADHD medications. These prescription drugs are often highly effective in helping to control the behavioral problems associated with ADHD that hinder day-to-day life. They are available in tablet, capsule and injection form.
ADHD medications improve symptoms by increasing activity in certain parts of the brain that are underactive. They appear to function by boosting and balancing levels of chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Children with ADHD who take these drugs often experience dramatically reduced levels of hyperactivity and impulsivity. This makes it much easier for them to focus on tasks such as learning or working. These drugs also improve coordination in some people, making it easier for them to write or engage in athletic activities.
Individual children may respond differently to the various drugs used to treat ADHD. Parents are urged to work closely with their doctor in trying to find the appropriate medication and dosage level for their child.
Children who take these drugs and find them to be effective may be asked by a doctor to suspend use of the drugs for a period of time to see whether or not they are still necessary. This may be planned around a time such as summer vacation, when a child is more relaxed and has fewer tasks that need to be completed. In some cases, drugs are only necessary for a year or two before a change in a child's symptoms renders them unnecessary.
However, in most cases children will continue to take medications into adolescence and possibly into adulthood. About 80 percent of patients take medication into their teen years, and 50 percent of all patients will continue to need the medication as adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Tell a doctor about any medical conditions your child may have. Many types of ADHD medications may not be appropriate for all patients. Therefore, it is important to inform the doctor if your child has a particular medical condition in case an alternate drug is necessary.
Stimulants are the mainstay of ADHD medication treatment, and up to 90 percent of people who take them report at least some improvement in symptoms like impulsivity and hyperactivity, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Stimulants are usually well-tolerated and are rarely abused. However, people with anxiety disorders should take these medications cautiously, because they may aggravate the condition. Usually, a doctor will choose to treat an anxiety disorder and bring it under control before using stimulants to treat ADHD.
Stimulants should be used with caution in people who have a history of seizures, drug and alcohol abuse, kidney disease, high blood pressure or EEG abnormalities. High blood pressure is also called hypertension. EEG abnormalities are problems with brain electricity that indicate the presence of a seizure disorder also know as epilepsy. People with diabetes may have to alter insulin intake while using stimulant drugs.
Other conditions of concern that may prohibit the use of stimulants include cardiovascular disease or other heart problems, liver disease, motor tics, glaucoma or hyperthyroidism. Glaucoma is a disease that results in increased pressure in the eye. Hyperthyroidism is excessive production of hormones in the thyroid gland. If the child has Tourette's syndrome or family history of this disease, the doctor may also decide to avoid stimulants.
Antidepressants may also be used to treat ADHD in some patients. Antidepressants that increase the availability of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the body appear to be effective in treating core symptoms of ADHD. Conditions of concern for people taking antidepressants to treat ADHD include blood disorders, glaucoma, hypertension, heart disease, liver or kidney disease and tachycardia. Tachycardia is a rapid heart rate. People with a history of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, may also need to avoid use of antidepressants.
Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists are sometimes used to treat core ADHD symptoms, but more often are used to reduce irritability and aggression and to treat body tics related to ADHD. Conditions of concern for people taking alpha-2 adrenergic agonists to treat ADHD include heart disease and other heart problems and liver or kidney disorders.
Tell the doctor about all other medications. People who take drugs to treat ADHD should consult their doctors before taking any additional prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements or herbal medications.
Stimulant drugs and alpha-2 adrenergic agonists are often combined to treat ADHD. There have been a handful of reported deaths in children who have taken this combination. However, an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no significant danger in taking these drugs together.
Caffeine use can decrease the effectiveness of stimulants in treating ADHD. In addition, use of the antidepressant MAO inhibitors, or MAOIs, with stimulants can cause severe high blood pressure, or hypertension. Vitamin C supplements, such as ascorbic acid, may shorten the duration of the dosage.
Other drugs that may interact poorly with stimulants include antacids, anticonvulsants, anticoagulants, other antidepressants, antipsychotics, the heart medication bretylium, the blood pressure drug guanethidine, and sedatives, such as barbiturates.
Drugs that may interact poorly with antidepressants used to treat ADHD include antidepressants, blood pressure medications and sedatives, such as benzodiazepines.
Drugs that may interact poorly with alpha-2 adrenergic agonists used to treat ADHD include antidepressants, antihypertensives, central nervous system depressants such as alcohol and sedatives, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often called NSAIDs.
