What is ADHD and How to treat it?

ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and it is a very common neurodevelopment disorder. People with ADHD have difficulty maintaining attention or have episodes of hyperactivity that interfere with their daily life.

ADHD manifests in the form of a short attention span and hyperactivity. It is chronic in nature and is usually lifelong though it can be managed through medication and talk therapy.

What are the signs of ADHD?

Depending on which type of the disorder, signs of ADHD include daydreaming, continuously forgetting and losing things, fidgeting, making careless mistakes and/or taking unnecessary risks.

If you are concerned about whether someone you know may have ADHD, the first step is to talk with a healthcare provider to find out if the symptoms fit the diagnosis. The diagnosis can be made by a mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, or by a primary care provider, like a paediatrician.

What are the types of ADHD?

There are 2 primary types based on textbook symptoms but some people could exhibit characteristics of both types which makes a third type that is known as combined type.

Inattentive Type

Individuals diagnosed with this type of ADHD find it hard to finish a task, follow instructions or pay attention to details. Some common symptoms of this type of ADHD include:

• Making careless mistakes in school or their job

• Having problem staying focussed during classes, lectures etc

• Avoiding tasks that require continuous mental effort.

• Being easily distracted and often losing their things.

Hyperactive/Impulsive Type

Individuals with this subtype are very fidgety and talk a lot and seem to have excessive energy. They are also very impulsive and find it hard to sit still for long and get very restless. Some of the symptoms displayed by individuals with this type of disorder are:

• Running about and climbing where inappropriate

• Struggling to do activities quietly

• Blurting out an answer before a question haas finished

• Having difficulty waiting for their turn

Combined type

Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in an individual.

What are the Causes of ADHD?

There is still ongoing research on this topic.Scientists have not yet identified the specific causes of ADHD. However it is believed that genetics contribute to ADHD and several genes have been linked to the disorder, no specific gene or gene combination has been identified as the cause of the disorder. However, it is important to note that relatives of individuals with ADHD are often also affected.

In addition to genetics, other possible risk factors include:

• Use of tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy

• Premature delivery

• Brain injury

• And exposure to certain chemicals or substances at a young age

Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD

Diagnosis of ADHD is not really a straightforward process as there is no single test to determine it and its symptoms because symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep problems and learning disabilities often have other causes too. The process to determine ADHD involves a medical exam with a hearing and vision test.

ADHD treatment involves medication and behaviour therapy. Training and therapy not just for the individual or in question but also the their parents to learn how to deal with this situation

How to live with ADHD?

Let’s be clear below content has been written by as promotional material only and not an expert and must be taken with a grain of salt

It is recommended that people with ADHD try to minimize distractions around them.

Thus one such way to minimize distractions for someone suffering from ADHD and to allow them to focus on a task would be to put on a pair of her phones and listen to some calming, medium tempo music. Normally experts suggest classical music from composers like Handel Mozart and Bach. You can look for mixes or playlists online or use one we have curated for you.