ADHD Causes – Deciphering The 100 Year Mystery

Determining ADHD causes remain elusive but today science has given us some solid theories about the ongoing mystery known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 

It wasn’t long ago that most researchers were convinced that allergies and sensitivities were one of the primary ADHD causes due to the ground breaking research of Benjamin Feingold. At the core of his research was artificial ingredients derived from petroleum produced ADHD. Today we know that the chemical Feingold was trying to eliminate is known as salicylate. Salicylate reduces the body’s ability to metabolize artificial color and flavors. Those with ADHD seem to struggle with metabolizing this ingredient anyway due to a deficiency in the PST enzyme. So today it is believed, that while allergies and sensitivities are not the ADHD cause once thought, they can without a doubt make the symptoms much worse in certain people. 

There are numerous other factors that can make the condition much worse such as high carbohydrate diets or ingesting simple sugars. While diet and simple sugar consumption should not be ignored they are not the elusive ADHD cause we are searching for. 

When one stands back and looks at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from a distance what they observe is the inability of the ADHD individual to regulate their actions. In other words ADHD is primarily a problem with self regulation. What is becoming increasingly clear is that self regulation is caused by biological imbalances in neurotransmitter activity primarily in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. 

Neurotransmitters are chemicals responsible for allowing the brain to communicate with itself. The three primary neurotransmitters at work in the brain are norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. The primary ADHD cause is presently thought to be an a problem with balance between the activity levels of norepinephrine and dopamine. The chemical most relevant and considered the ADHD main cause is still up for debate and generally depends on the symptom being examined. For instance the primary symptom of inattention/distractibility is often a result of too much norepinephrine activity in relation to the amount of dopamine activity. So one could make the case that the primary ADHD cause is low dopamine activity in the brain. 

The most often prescribed medications for treating ADHD (Ritalin, Adderall, Cylert) all target neurotransmitter activity. They work by  causing more dopamine and/or norepinephrine to be released causing more of the transmitters to be retained in the synapses for a longer time. This approach has shown to be helpful in managing symptoms but their appears to be a number of problematic side effects linked to these medications. 

What Next? ADHD finding a treatment option that can help them manage their symptoms should be their main priority. As briefly mentioned above the most common form of treatment for ADHD are stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Adderall or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects or perhaps lack of success with stimulants has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.  

Hopefully this information article helped you gain a better understanding of the still elusive ADHD cause. While research has given us a good understanding of what is considered to be the ADHD main cause there is still a great deal of work to be done.