Stimulants are an inadequate treatment for ADHD because children with the disorder have problems that go way beyond their brain and behaviour. Research shows that they are vulnerable to conditions that target other body systems and have issues with fine motor coordination, allergies, and upper respiratory tract infections. More recently, a new published study discovered that boys with ADHD are more likely to also have asthma, skin infections, and allergies than those without the disorder.
As seen in the science journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, researchers from the Netherlands and Boston studied the medical history of 884 boys with ADHD and 3,536 boys without the disorder, using data from a large UK study. Boys from the first group received their first ADHD diagnosis between the ages 4 and 14, and were prescribed medication for it between 1996 and 2006.
After accounting for factors like age, premature birth, and low birth weight, the research team detected a significant relationship between ADHD and asthma, prescriptions for allergy medications, and impetigo, a skin disease. Of the boys in the study, those who have ADHD are 40% more likely to have asthma, 50% more likely to have gotten a prescription for antihistamines, and 50% more likely to get bacterial skin infections than boys without the disorder.
The researchers also noted weaker associations between the ADHD diagnosis and prescriptions for antibacterial drugs, antifungal drugs, and intolerance to cow’s milk,
These new findings corroborate earlier studies that have established a connection between ADHD and these other diseases. However, the study did not show cause and effect. The chicken-and-egg question still remains: how are these disorders related? Does ADHD increase the risk for asthma, or is it the other way around? Further research is needed to explore the connection between the two.
Meanwhile, these findings present a strong case for a comprehensive, holistic ADHD treatment. Stimulants can only address hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention in the short term, while doing nothing to treat related allergies. With a holistic treatment, you can look into doing an ADHD diet or supplements to help manage allergies and asthma while treating the disorder’s symptoms from the root.