Seasonal Allergies Affect ADHD

Seasonal Allergies Affect ADHD
Research shows assorted types can worsen symptoms
By Colette Bouchez HealthScoutNews Reporter

THURSDAY, March 13 (HealthScoutNews) –

Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may worsen with a seasonal allergy.

That’s the word from doctors at Long Island College Hospital in New York City, who presented their findings this week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Denver.

The study involved 20 children between the ages of 5 and 18, all of whom had been diagnosed with ADHD. But only two had been evaluated for allergy problems, even though all had a family history of allergies.

The researchers screened the children for allergic rhinitis, using not only a focused personal and family history, but also blood and other types of allergy testing for mold, cockroaches, dogs, cats, feathers, ragweed, trees and grass.

The results? Eight of the children (40 percent) were diagnosed with asthma or atopic dermatitis; three (23 percent) with allergic rhinitis, and nine (69 percent) had at least one positive allergy test. Fifteen of the 20 also had a history of at least two allergic symptoms.

Based on those findings, the researchers concluded that a high percentage of children with ADHD may also harbor allergies and some of the behavioral patterns observed in ADHD might come from sleep problems caused by allergy symptoms — particularly nasal obstruction.

The authors suggest all children diagnosed with ADHD should also be tested for seasonal and environmental allergies and that treatment might improve their overall behavior and symptoms.

The study was just one highlight among some important new findings that were presented at the six-day conference, which ended Wednesday.