Do your kids have trouble focusing?
In July of this year our family grew from 4 to 6 includes 4 boys under the age of 7 overnight. Foster care is something we are passionate about and is an immense blessing to raise 4 little boys, but also includes a lot of noise, rambunctiousness, and disciplining. One of the most challenging aspects of having all boys is the fact that they rile each other up and when they are wound up it’s almost impossible to get them to wind down. It is also really challenging to get any of them to focus on any given task. I’m sure many of you can relate!
Boys plus energy plus lack of focus can equal chaos. We have not considered formal evaluation or diagnosis, but I don’t think it would be too much of a stretch to call them inattentive and hyperactive at times. While challenging, I understand that there are millions of children with more extreme symptoms and desperate parents looking for solutions.
While it is difficult to estimate how many kids how trouble with attention and hyperactivity, we can extrapolate the prevalence of the problem by looking at ADHD statistics. Here are some amazing Fast Facts about ADHD from the ADD Resource Center
- Males are almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than females.
- During their lifetimes, 12.9 percent of men will be diagnosed with the attention disorder. Just 4.9 percent of women will be diagnosed.
- The average age of ADHD diagnosis is 7 years old.
- Symptoms of ADHD typically first appear between the ages of 3 and 6.
- 6.4 million American children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD
- The prevalence of ADHD has increased 42% in the past 8 years
If you caught some of those numbers you can see how alarming this problem is becoming. There are already 6.4 million children with ADHD and the prevalence has increased 42% in the past 8 years. This does not take into account all of the children that struggle with some of the symptoms but don’t have an official diagnosis.
Something must be going on to see such a rapid increase in the number of cases! While some of this increase is a better understanding and awareness of the disease, some also may be overdiagnosis. Additionally, I strongly believe that variables such as the food that children eat, the toxins they are exposed to, and the under-recognized vitamin and mineral deficiencies often contribute to symptoms and behaviors.
The standard treatments for ADHD are not without problems so the diagnosis and treatment should be done with care and monitoring. Medications used are generally classified as stimulants including popular medications like Ritalin and Adderall. While these stimulants do help improve focus and concentration and are definitely necessary at times, they also come with side effects. The most common side effects for ADHD medications include:
- Sleep problems.
- Decreased appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches and stomachaches.
- Rebound (irritability when the medication wears off)
- Moodiness and irritability.
ADHD Medication Side Effects
Plus you have to worry about complications from getting too much medication such as mydriasis, tremors, anxiety, agitation, hyper-reflexia, headache, gastrointestinal upset, combative behavior, confusion, hallucinations, delirium, dizziness, dystonia, insomnia, paranoia, movement disorders, tachycardia hypertension, seizures, and even hyperactivity.
Riordan Clinic
I do not list all of the side effects and complications to say that no child should ever take medication. I am saying that if medications can be avoided that would be preferable and if they are necessary the lowest dose possible should be used.
That is where natural supplements can be helpful. They can help with the symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity and can also work synergistically with medications. There is actually quite a bit of research on natural treatments that can be used to improve focus and attention and decrease hyperactivity.
We are super excited to introduce our newest product to you VERY soon! If you are struggling with focus problems and hyperactivity we would love to hear from you! We cannot wait to provide a more natural and well-researched solution called Mag-Focus.
Dr. Wiggy