Treating A Child's Allergies Can Improve ADHD Symptoms
A recent study has found that children with allergic rhinitis (AR) had a significant decrease in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom scores when they were treated for AR. The study included 68 children who ranged in age from six to 16 years old. All had untreated AR and were evaluated to determine both AR and ADHD symptom scores, before and after AR treatment. Once they received AR treatment, the AR symptom scores and ADHD scores in children with AR both decreased.
As a result of the study, lead author Ming-Tao Yang, MD, recommends that children with AR and borderline ADHD should first receive AR treatment and then be monitored to see if there is improvement in their ADHD symptoms.
“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has long been known to contribute to children exhibiting ADHD symptoms, and treating the OSA can help control those symptoms. It seems consistent that improving AR symptoms would result in a similar benefit,” said CornerStone Ear, Nose & Throat physician Richard Gillespie, MD.
Immunotherapy, which has traditionally taken the form of allergy shots, can be a very effective allergy treatment. However, many parents do not have the ability to take their child to a doctor's office for weekly shots that often must be scheduled during school hours. Others do not want to subject their child to the discomfort of injections on a weekly basis.
"Allergy drops (sublingual immunotherapy) are a proven treatment option for pediatric AR patients," said CornerStone Ear, Nose & Throat physician Nicholas Lukacs, DO. "These young patients can receive immunotherapy for their allergies by placing drops under their tongue at home each day instead of getting weekly allergy shots at a doctor's office. In light of this study, the convenience of allergy drops could facilitate treatment of children displaying both AR and ADHD symptoms."
To learn more about allergy drops, click here or contact CornerStone Ear, Nose & Throat at 704-752-7575.
To read an abstract of the study, go to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27216352.
As a result of the study, lead author Ming-Tao Yang, MD, recommends that children with AR and borderline ADHD should first receive AR treatment and then be monitored to see if there is improvement in their ADHD symptoms.
“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has long been known to contribute to children exhibiting ADHD symptoms, and treating the OSA can help control those symptoms. It seems consistent that improving AR symptoms would result in a similar benefit,” said CornerStone Ear, Nose & Throat physician Richard Gillespie, MD.
Immunotherapy, which has traditionally taken the form of allergy shots, can be a very effective allergy treatment. However, many parents do not have the ability to take their child to a doctor's office for weekly shots that often must be scheduled during school hours. Others do not want to subject their child to the discomfort of injections on a weekly basis.
"Allergy drops (sublingual immunotherapy) are a proven treatment option for pediatric AR patients," said CornerStone Ear, Nose & Throat physician Nicholas Lukacs, DO. "These young patients can receive immunotherapy for their allergies by placing drops under their tongue at home each day instead of getting weekly allergy shots at a doctor's office. In light of this study, the convenience of allergy drops could facilitate treatment of children displaying both AR and ADHD symptoms."
To learn more about allergy drops, click here or contact CornerStone Ear, Nose & Throat at 704-752-7575.
To read an abstract of the study, go to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27216352.
