ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to give it its proper name, is a behavioral disorder which affects approximately ten percent of school age kids. What is interesting is that it actually affects about three times as many boys as it does girls, but as of yet nobody is quite sure why this happens to be the case.

Children that have ADHD are usually hyperactive, do not focus well and normally act without thinking it through first. Although as a rule they understand the things that are expected of them, they find it difficult to carry this out as they are unable to pay attention, sit still or focus on details.

ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

As everyone is probably aware though, most children, especially the younger ones, act like this frequently, especially if they are excited, but ADHD affected kids are different as such because the symptoms last over a long period of times and can be triggered be a variety of reasons, not just excitement or anxiety. ADHD can hinder the ability of a child to function properly at school, at home or when they are out and about.

Although difficult to diagnose, ADHD can be managed with the proper treatment and the children affected can learn to manage their symptoms successfully.

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye as it is sometimes known as, is an inflammation that affects the outer lining of the eyes. The condition is caused by bacteria or virus’ but can also affect people due to allergies or exposure to certain chemicals. Anyone can catch conjunctivitis but those closest to a sufferer are more at risk of contracting it than others.

When someone has conjunctivitis, all the fluid in the infected individuals eyes are very contagious, therefore the condition can easily be spread from one person to another via contaminated fingers, towels or clothes and through items such as sunglasses and makeup.

Conjunctivitis

Symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness in the white areas of the eyes, a scratchy sensation in the eyes, swollen eyelids that often feel itchy and “heavy” feeling eyes full of tears. The symptoms usually occur from 24 to 72 hours after infection and can last for several days.

Treatment of the condition depends on the cause, but a severe or chronic cased should be referred to a physician immediately. Prevention of conjunctivitis is always the best cure, so washing hands frequently as well as keeping them away from the eyes, not sharing towels, flannels or handkerchiefs with anybody and using fresh paper toweling to wipe the eyes if necessary and then discarding straight away, are all things to do to help prevent the spread of the condition.

A food allergy occurs when someone’s immune system reacts adversely to a particular type of food. When this happens it causes inflammation in certain bodily tissues and can even be life threatening. A food allergy should not be confused with food intolerance because, although in both situations the body can react to even a very small amount of food, food intolerance is not caused by an individual’s immune system; rather, it’s the digestive system.

Although actual food allergies are very rare and tend to run in the family, some people avoid consuming specific foods because they are under the mistaken assumption that they’re allergic to them. On average, only one in hundred adults and three in a hundred infants have food allergies. An individual would be more at risk if they or their family suffer from any allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema or hay fever. Only a medical professional will be able to diagnose somebody as having a food allergy.

Food Allergies

In principle, people could be allergic to any type of food, but the most common ones appear to be the following: milk, fish, shellfish, eggs, wheat, soya beans, peanuts and certain fruit and veg.

Food allergies are usually diagnosed by blood or skin tests, or a going through a food elimination program.