ADHD Diet: Treating ADHD Naturally

If you are looking for an alternative treatment to ADHD,
you may want to consider making dietary changes. Dietary
changes have been effective in controlling the symptoms of
ADHD in some children and adult.

Essentially, an adhd diet is about eating a healthy and
balanced diet. Poor nutrition can exacerbate the symptoms
of ADHD.

Sugar Intake
Reducing sugar intake can certainly help to reduce
hyperactivity in children with ADHD. High sugar consumption
leads to fluctuation in the body's sugar levels, thus
resulting in irritability and mood swings in almost
everyone. For children with ADHD, the rise and fall in
blood sugar level can cause outbursts of hyperactivity,
mood swings, aggression and irritability. A high sugar diet
can worsen the symptoms of ADHD in children and contribute
to more behaviour problems.

Refined Carbohydrate
Although a low carbohydrate and high protein diet can
reduce the symptoms of ADHD, one should never cut out
carbohydrates completely from his or her diet. Nowadays, we
tend to consume excessive refined carbohydrates such as
white flour and white sugar, and processed foods that
contain addictives, artificial flavouring and colouring.
Refined carbohydrates tend to cause fluctuations in blood
sugar levels, which can exacerbate behaviour problems in
ADHD sufferers. Instead, aim to consume more whole grains,
vegetables and fruits containing complex carbohydrates that
help to stabilise blood sugar levels.

Trigger Foods
There are certain foods that may trigger ADHD symptoms.
Food addictives such preservatives, dyes, artificial
flavouring and sweetener have been known to cause ADHD
behaviour problems. Avoid processed foods as they tend to
contain these addictives. It's best to eat natural and
wholesome foods. There are some foods that tend to cause
allergy such as dairy products, wheat, eggs, yeast and
orange juice. You can expect to see remarkable improvement
in your child when allergy causing foods are eliminated
from your diet.

Supplements
Certain supplements can help to alleviate ADHD symptoms. It
has been proven that ADHD children who take fish oil are
able to spell, write and read better. Fish oil contains
essential fatty acids (omega-3) that can reduce
hyperactivity. Cod liver oil, flax seed oil and evening
primrose oil are also good sources of essential fatty
acids. Other supplements which may help with ADHD symptoms
are vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence to support dietary
changes having a positive effect on ADHD symptoms, many
parents have found that diet does indeed play a role in
managing the symptoms of ADHD in their children.

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Find excellent resources on ADHD diet, herbal remedies and
other natural treatments for ADHD at
http://www.guidetoadhd.com/prd-diet

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in Children, Young Adults and Older People

One of the painless, odorless, tasteless and invisible
diseases is loss of hearing. Even though it is painless, it
affects the person mentally and psychologically. Loss of
hearing is commonly divided in to three types - conductive
hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss and mixed hearing
loss. Each of the hearing types has its own degrees of
loss. They are categorized as mild loss, moderate loss,
severe loss and profound loss.

The prevention steps of hearing loss are different for the
different ages of people. This article gives some tips to
prevent loss of hearing in children, young adults and older
people.

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in Children

Some of the causes of loss of hearing in children are
premature birth, the presence of a child in a neonatal
intensive care unit, presence of high bilirubin during a
blood transfusion, hereditary, complications at birth, and
frequent ear infections. Nowadays, in the modern lifestyle
community, more babies are born with hearing problems. It
is difficult even for the mother to discover if their baby
has ear problems. Untreated ear problems may even lead to
life-long deafness. So it is very important for babies to
have an ear screening test at birth. Most of the ear
problems start at the age of three for children, hence
regular ear checkups and screening tests are very important.

Generally, screening tests are done to almost all the new
born in hospital. Screening test detects the complications
in its initial stage thereby making the treatment easier
and successful.

Since the hearing problems can occur at any age, children
should be given a constant monitoring of their hearing
capacity. Usually, babies start playing with their own
voice and imitate simple words. If this action is absent or
minimal, then it should be considered serious. Thus to
summarize, constant monitoring on the children's hearing
capacity is the main preventative step taken to avoid
unnecessary loss of hearing.

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in the Young Adult

Many young adults are affected by noise-induced hearing
loss. This problem is mainly due to the loud, unwanted and
hazardous sound. Young adults should be aware of the
different causes of noise. Naturally there may be many
times when noise can not be avoided but learning to protect
one's ears is the best prevention. Wearing ear protection
like earplugs or earmuffs, covering the ears with hands,
staying away from the source of noise over which one has no
control, and enjoying music with less volume are some of
the preventative steps to avoid hearing loss. These steps
are mandatory for youth, if they want to lessen the risk of
hearing loss as they grow older.

Immunizations for measles and other diseases can also be a
cause for hearing problems in later periods of life.

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in Older People

Presbycusis and tinnitus are the common hearing problems
found in older people. People who are not able to hear
conversations or loud sounds are likely to have Presbycusis
caused by changes in their inner ear as they grow older.
Taking too much aspirin or certain antibiotics are the main
cause of tinnitus in the later years. Be aware of the
medicines and their side-effects before taking them. People
with nervous problems are also likely to have tinnitus.
Once the nervous problem is detected, make sure you have
regular ear checkups, so that it can be controlled or
treated in its initial stages.

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If you, or someone you know has hearing loss, you know how
isolating that condition can be. Keep up with the latest on
digital hearing aids and information that Michael Jennings
has put together on the subject of hearing loss ==>

http://www.hearing-aids-go-digital.com

Community Mental Health

People suffering from mental health problems often need a
lot of support and understanding in order to be able to
cope with their lives. Most people experiencing symptoms
of anxiety or depression will speak to their doctor in the
first instance and many will find that is all that's
required. However, for more serious or complex forms of
mental health problems or when there are additional factors
or difficulties involved, they may be referred by their
doctor to other professionals or support workers within the
local community mental health team.

The community mental health team consists of a number of
professionals who are trained in their specific areas and
can include psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational
therapists, social workers, and of course the community
psychiatric nurse or CPN. Some specific problems or issues
that can arise in addition to existing mental health
problems or which can exacerbate or trigger mental health
problems and which might need extra consideration include:

• Financial problems
• Physical disabilities
• Housing issues
• Divorce or relationship problems
• Childcare issues

Certain kinds of mental health problems may result in
different needs and may therefore require some specialist
help to deal with and these can include:

• Elderly depression and dementia
• Child or Teen depression
• Postnatal depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia

Obviously, finding one person fully qualified and skilled
in all of these areas just isn't possible so the community
mental health team work together in order to ensure that
the best advice and support is available as many of the
professionals involved will be trained in specialist areas
that allow them to offer a better service to people
suffering from specific problems. So who is likely to be
involved in the community mental health team?

Psychiatrist

Patients can be referred to a psychiatrist by their doctor.
The psychiatrist will then assess the patient and decide
on an appropriate form of treatment and medication
including who will be responsible for carrying out any
treatment programme. If a mental health problem is
particularly severe then they are also able to recommend
that the individual be detained in hospital for a period of
time. However, this is a last resort and also requires the
approval of another doctor and a social worker who all
agree that this is the best option for an individual
concerned either for the individual's safety or for the
safety of others.

Psychologist

Psychologists have an understanding of human behaviour,
emotions and how the mind works and although they cannot
prescribe medication they can offer various types of
psychological therapies. Patients can be referred to them
by the doctor or other members of the community health team.

The Key Worker

People suffering from mental health problems will usually
be assigned a key worker, which can be anyone in the
community mental health team. The main responsibility of
the key worker is to make sure that the individual is
getting all the help he or she needs. They will regularly
assess the progress of an individual and report back to the
rest of the team.

Community Psychiatric Nurse or CPN

The key worker will often be a CPN who will usually make
regular visits to people with mental health problems in
their own homes. They offer an important lifeline for
people who are feeling isolated and alone with their mental
health problems or who are experiencing particular
difficulties. They are aware of the many issues
surrounding mental health and can listen as well as help
people talk through their problems in a setting in which
they feel comfortable.

The CPN will liaise with and work closely with other
members of the team to make sure that any practical support
and assistance is offered when needed. They monitor
medication, make sure the individual knows how to take
their medication and they also look out for additional
symptoms or side effects of that medication. The CPN can
also help families and loved ones better understand the
impact of mental illness and how to cope with it in the
family.

Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists help individuals to cope with
practical issues on a day to day basis in areas such as
dressing, toileting and feeding themselves and can help
individuals regain some control of their lives.

Social workers

Social workers can ensure that an individual gets access to
various social services that will improve their quality of
life and that they may be entitled to such as home help,
respite care and perhaps admission to day or residential
centres. They can also offer assistance in dealing with
housing needs, financial difficulties or other social
problems.

The best care

Many other people can be involved in the community mental
health team including various support workers, therapists,
counsellors, and of course loved ones. Together they all
make sure that the individual suffering from mental illness
gets the best care possible. Each team member can make a
valuable contribution to the individual's quality of life
and can help them not only to cope with their illness on a
day to day basis but to regain control over their lives and
integrate with the rest of the community in a positive and
productive way.

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Depression and anxiety are serious mental health conditions
that can strike anyone at anytime. For more information
about depression and selp help come and visit
http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk

Tips On Preventing Hypertension In Women

In women 45 years of age or older, sixty percent of
Caucasian women and seventy-nine percent of
African-American women have hypertension. It is estimated
that thirty percent of elderly women over 65 years are
diagnosed with isolated systolic hypertension. Therefore,
as you age your risk of developing high blood pressure
increases drastically. Although the risk factors are
similar between men and women, gender differences have not
been documented conclusively by research studies.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke remain the leading
causes of death in women in America. The risk of CVD
increases after the onset of menopause and continues to
rise with age. Since 1984, the total deaths due to CVD have
been greater in women as compared to men.

Women taking oral contraceptives or hormone treatment can
experience a small but detectable increase in both systolic
and diastolic blood pressure, usually in the normal range.
If this rise in blood pressure occurs, women should talk to
their doctors about a possible cause for the rise in blood
pressure and what they can do about it. Women age 35 and
older who smoke cigarettes and take oral contraceptives are
at an even greater risk for heart disease and stroke. If
they are unable to quit smoking, a woman should talk to
their doctor about using other forms of birth control.
Women who take hormone replacement therapy are urged to
have their blood pressure monitored more frequently after
such therapy is started.

Lifestyle modifications are a safe, effective treatment
option for hypertension, yet they are underutilized by many
healthcare providers, particularly in pre-and
perimenopausal women. When you consider the alternative to
making a change to your everyday life to aid in the
treatment of hypertension and all the health dangers that
can occur from this condition, the modifications aren't
such a bad idea.

Diets high in fiber and low in fat and animal protein tend
to have a lower incidence of hypertension. Therefore, it is
imperative that you eat a balanced diet to aid in the
prevention of hypertension. The Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension (DASH) diet investigators found that a
combined diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy
products with reduced saturated fat can reduce blood
pressure in hypertensive individuals. In addition,
African-American subjects experienced a greater reduction
in blood pressure than Caucasians but there were no
significant differences in the extent of lowered blood
pressure based on gender. Not only will this be of benefit
to your blood pressure readings, it will let you shed a few
pounds which is also encouraged by physicians in the
treatment of hypertension.

Some women develop high blood pressure for the first time
in the middle of their pregnancy. The mother develops
toxemia of pregnancy, a condition that can threaten the
lives of both the mother and unborn child. High blood
pressure can harm the mother's kidneys and other organs as
well as cause low birth weight and premature delivery.
Getting early and regular prenatal care is the most
important thing you can do for you and your baby.

The caffeine in coffee, even in large amounts, has not been
determined to have an adverse affect on the rise of high
blood pressure but does not increase the risk of developing
hypertension as much as cola drinks. When you drink
beverages that contain caffeine, your blood pressure goes
up in the immediate period afterwards although there are no
conclusive results from studies to evaluate the effect of
caffeine on blood pressure. If you aren't totally dependent
on that cup of coffee first thing in the morning, a wise
move to make would be to drink a flavored or sparkling
water beverage.

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Check out further information from Michael Jennings on
preventing hypertension, the "silent killer", and how to
monitor your blood pressure and living with hypertension on
a daily basis. ==>

http://www.monitor-blood-pressure.com