ADD or Attention deficit disorder is quite common in the childhood years. Forgetting homework, fidgeting and being restless, day dreaming during class, acting without thinking is quite common among children, but when this happens at an alarming scale and month after month, parents need to worry about it, for the child may have ADD.
Children with ADD cannot focus on a task, cannot pay attention or concentrate or even if they are able to concentrate, the span is very short. These children face problem at home or school and the disorder has a negative impact on their ability to learn or get along with others. These children get distracted easily, cannot memorize, cannot learn new things, struggle to complete homework or assignment, do careless mistakes, day dream, forget things, miss details, get confused easily, and cannot follow instructions no matter how clearly things are explained to them, lose or misplace articles of daily use like pencil, eraser, homework or toys, frequently, get bored with a task and frequently bounce from one task to another, cannot stay organized and process information as quickly and accurately as others.
They also seem not to listen when they are being spoken to. Such children are recognized as 'problem child' or trouble-makers in school. They are also often considered as dull-headed. But researches have shown that children with ADD are not really dull-headed, for they can remain utterly engrossed in or do with utmost perfection, the tasks they enjoy. To help these children out, one needs to have a compassionate approach. Children with ADD can fantasize a lot; can think many things at the same time. Therefore it is necessary to canalize their creativity, enthusiasm and drive in to the right track.
Some of the causes of ADD could be: genetic grounds, the child's consumption of much refined sugar, excessive food additives (artificial flavor, color, preservatives etc) in the child’s food, high dose antibiotics given to the child, certain vaccines, consumption of allergenic food by the child, metallic contents and pesticides in the child's food, prior history of traumatic brain injury, organic brain damage because of pre-natal complications, child’s exposure to florescent lights, child breathing in air containing high quantities of lead, tobacco smoking and alcohol use by the mother when the child was in her womb.
Home Remedies for ADD
1. One can use the following herbs to treat ADD in children: bacopa, California poppy, lemon balm, gingko biloba, skullcap, kava, St John's wort etc. These herbs boost neurotransmitters in brain, improve memory, foster clarity of though, improve focusing capacity and elevate concentration levels.
2. Sweeteners like honey or jiggery should be used instead of sugar in the child’s food.
3. Fish oil is very useful in treating ADD. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil combat ADD symptoms. The child should be fed with oily fishes like herring, tuna, halibut, sardines etc
4. The child should be made to consume Feingold diet which contains no artificial colors, flavors or salicylates.
5. Multivitamin capsules and iron, zinc, copper and magnesium supplements should be given to child to check ADD symptoms.
6. The child should not be allowed to take fizzy drinks because such drinks contain phosphates which displace calcium and magnesium in the body, thereby causing ADD.
7. The child should not be given junk or processed food. Rather he or she should be made to take healthy diet. Fresh green vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes should be included in the child's diet.
8. Protein-rich diet like soy milk, eggs, cheese etc is also very helpful in countering ADD symptoms. Protein stimulates the production of brain chemicals and restores brain chemical balance. This makes the child attentive and focused.
9. Sunbath is helpful in checking ADD.
10. Counseling, meditation and psychotherapy may be adopted to deal with ADD effectively.
Read more Natural Home Remedies for ADD. Also know useful Natural Home Remedies for ADHD.
