Choosing whether to medicate a child regardless of the reason is always a difficult decision for a parent. Parents must weigh the benefits of a medication against the possible short term and long term effects the medication presents. Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD has three main traits, which include impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity.

ADD which is a neurologically basis condition, is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions in young children. People often ask why so many children being diagnosed with ADD today. Perhaps the answer comes in that true ADD is a neurological disorder you are born with and ADD does not have a sudden onset later in life.

If a child suddenly develops ADD symptoms, the cause or condition is not ADD but perhaps an environmental allergy or toxicity. Exposure to high lead in the environment, which causes high lead blood levels, can bring on many of the same symptoms as ADD.

In addition, having a previous history of a head injury may present symptoms similar to ADD. Food allergies can also mimic the signs and symptoms of ADD. A thorough medical and physical exam is imperative for proper diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder.

Simply placing a child on ADD medication without the proper medical tests is irresponsible parenting and medical neglect.Many people claim they would never medicate their child for ADD, however many parents allow a child to take over the counter (OTC) medications regularly without ever questioning the possible dangers to their child.

Tylenol is a dangerous medication that is metabolized in the liver, and long term ingestion in large amounts can cause liver damage. If you overdose on Tylenol and you most likely will live initially, yet without immediate treatment your liver will fail eventually. However most parents dispense Tylenol at the first sign of a fever, ache or pain without giving the dangers a second thought.

How many times has a child taken an anti-biotic prescribed by a physician because he or she was exhibiting signs of an infection? The reality is most of the time the child has a virus, which is not going to respond to antibiotics, and is causing people and diseases to become drug resistant. Do an online search for super-infections, like MRSA, and VRE. These bacteria are resistant to antibiotics.

Any medication can be dangerous, if taken other than as prescribed. Medication when taken properly can mean the difference between feeling sick, and even, life and death. This includes medications used to treat ADD or ADHD.

Are you wondering how ADD can be life threatening? What about a child who cannot sit or stand still for more than a few seconds at a time, who is apt to run into the street to chase a balloon without looking for cars first. Impulsivity can kill a child. Accidental death in children is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 24.

Children with ADD who are untreated often learn to hate school in elementary and middle school. After all it is not fun to go to school when you are always in trouble and unable to complete your schoolwork. Teachers do not have enough hours in their day to deal with children who need help to learn in a class of 25 to 40 students. In the long run a child who cannot get decent grades at school because he or she cannot focus on their school work, may give up and drop out. Dropping out of school sets a child up for a lifetime of hardships, from not being literate enough to get a job and being able to support themselves.

If a child is correctly diagnosed ADD and properly medicated, his or her world can change from a lifetime of hardship, and low self-esteem to a lifetime of success and endless possibilities. Those of you who made it through childhood without a proper diagnosis will understand the words written here. People who are not ADD or do not know the struggles one lives with as a person who has ADD will continue to believe that ADD is over diagnosed in today’s children. ADD has a familial tendency, which means it runs in families.

If a parent chooses not medicate a properly diagnosed child with ADD, they may be performing a grave disservice to their child, just as those parents who want their child on ADD medication because of behavioral issues that develop from poor parenting. ADD medicine only works in the short run if one takes it and is not truly ADD. Therefore, if you are medicating your child for ADD and various medications fail to work, chances are there is another diagnosis that is lacking.

Medication is not a cure all for children with ADD. All children should receive proper nutrition, exercise, and rest, whether they have ADD or not. Medication works best in conjunction with proper nutrition and sleep. Please contact your family physician if you believe your child is ADD and discuss what tests are necessary before diagnosing a child ADD.