Hyperactivity is commonly perceptible to children younger than 7 years old. Being energetic and happy is normal to children and that is why diagnosing hyperactivity symptoms can be difficult, especially since almost all children exhibit hyperactivity and its intensity varies from one child to another. Moreover, there are no specific tests to detect the disorder yet. Most professional diagnoses depend on the assessment of the child’s behavior.
Definition of Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity was coined from the word hyper that means “above.” There are several instances when people become hyperactive especially on occasions of unexpected happiness like winning a game, excitement over an upcoming event or when our thoughts are competing in a race against troubles or hopes, and we may sometimes find trouble staying asleep. There is no standard professional definition of hyperactivity but the strictest and most commonly used definition is that hyperactivity refers to the ability of a person to be physically active beyond her normal level in one’s age group. Taking this into account, hyperactivity can be evident to children but could possibly be experienced by adults, too.
Sets of Hyperactive Behavior
Children with hyperactivity disorder exhibit several traits in behavior including twitching, the inability to stay seated, wriggling, having a certain part of the body that is constantly moving, and a bouncing leg. Most hyperactive children cannot focus on the people they are talking to. In classroom settings, hyperactive children have a very short attention span. When a child exhibits the above-mentioned traits coupled with very short attention span, then the disorder is now medically referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The difficulty of detecting hyperactivity and ADHD is always at hand because children, especially little boys, almost always become more energetic than what the school allows. ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder often characterized with hyperactivity, inattention and impulsive behavior. Children with ADHD are unaware of physical danger, aggressive, and forgetful or clumsy. They also are often diagnosed with persistent lack of concentration. Children with ADHD also exhibit emotional and intellectual immaturity and attention seeking behaviors.
Alternative Treatments for Hyperactivity
Parents of hyperactive children should see to it that their children’s behaviors are observed early on. If the child shows activity beyond the normal level, then parents can seek for help from a child specialist and can talk to the teachers for intervention. There are alternative treatments for hyperactivity that parents could opt for. Although most alternative treatments for hyperactivity give no harmful effects, parents of hyperactive children still need to seek for experts or practitioners to ensure desired results. Some of these treatments include nutritional therapy, homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture and osteopathy.
Food and Hyperactivity
Recent studies have shown that food and hyperactivity have a significant connection. Food additives and colorings have been found out to be contributory to increased hyperactive behavior of children. The Food Standards Agency in Britain has warned parents to check on the labels of the food they prepare for their children in order to avoid unlikely effects in their attention span. Moreover, it is suggested that school cafeterias should get rid of foods with additives.