According to a study, more and more women are being diagnosed with ADHD

he Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) he A common condition in neurology consultationswith Its prevalence ranges between 4 and 5%, according to the World Health Organization. Epidemiological studies conducted in different countries.

Contrary to what was thought a few years ago, ADHD is not just a disorder condition which is located in childhoodbut More than 60% of children with this diagnosis continue to have significant symptoms into adulthood.

This condition includes a series of persistent problems, e.g Difficulty maintaining attention, hyperactivity, and reckless behavior. Children with ADHD may also experience low self-esteem, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and decreased academic performance.

now Researchers say ADHD diagnoses are increasing in adult women. between 2020 and 2022Nearly twice as many diagnoses were recorded, mainly due to increased screening in women. According to an analysis of nearly four million American medical records Produced by the software company Epic Systems.

Although less than 1% of American women have been diagnosed with ADHD,… The gap compared to men It decreased significantly, according to research.

Experts say constant distraction from social media and communication apps can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, adding stress to normal responsibilities such as work, childcare and household management. The abundance of school emails, coworkers' Slack messages, texts from friends, and the temptation to scroll through Instagram all contribute to this scenario.

Victoria Dunkley, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles, suggests that limiting technology use can alleviate ADHD symptoms. Patients are therefore advised to take a break from screens for four weeks to help calm their minds.

Dunkley argued In a memo published in the Wall Street Journal Two decades ago, people with a predisposition to ADHD could function well due to a lack of distractions. However, with today's technology, many experience more noticeable symptoms as attention is constantly drawn.

There they cited the case of Rachel Fuhrer, who constantly lost things and forgot things. During her school years, she faced difficulties and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of fifteen. However, she stopped taking the medication after just two weeks because she didn't like the way it affected her. Over time, his problems with distraction and impulsivity intensified, coinciding with the increasing role of the smartphone in his life.

Nearly 15 years later, a doctor revealed to him that he had ADHD. “Because women no longer accept the status quo, we say: No, we're not just forgetting; we're ignoring the status quo.” “There's something wrong with our brain, and we're looking for a diagnosis,” Fuhrer says.

There are many stories. Lori Etheridge, an oncology nurse and mother of two in Indianapolis, suffered three panic attacks a little more than a year ago. At the time, she was 48 years old, and her doctor attributed her seizures to ADHD symptoms caused by hormonal changes associated with menopause. As part of his treatment, he was advised to limit phone use.

“I was on Facebook while I was standing around, watching Housewives and checking my calendar at the same time,” Etheridge said. “Now I try to focus on one task at a time.”

Research has shown that media multitasking reduces our ability to process and retain information, reduces our ability to filter out unnecessary data, and shortens our attention span. The increase in ADHD diagnoses in adult women is due to increased awareness of the symptoms and changes in diagnostic criteria, according to doctors.

Although skepticism persists in the medical community about some ADHD diagnoses, some doctors suggest that technology may contribute to ADHD-like behaviors. Dr. Beata Lewis, a Brooklyn psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD, advises patients to track their phone use and set limits on the most time-consuming apps. Technology can be a useful tool for managing ADHD, but it is also important to develop strategies to cope with the disorder.

“Split attention and sleep problems worsen with screen time.”Regardless of whether or not you meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, cautions Dr. Dunkley, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles, who recommends a proactive approach, such as: Remove phones from rooms at night And turn off notifications when you need to focus.

a Recent study On the other hand, it was revealed that those who took Energy Drinks, Designed to increase energy through their caffeine content or other stimulants, they were at high risk of developing mental health problems, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

The findings come from a review conducted by FUSE, the Center for Translational Research in Public Health at Teesside University and the University of Newcastle in the UK.

In this review published in the journal Public HealthThe researchers analyzed data from 57 studies that included more than 1.2 million children and young people from more than 21 countries who consumed energy drinks. This analysis was conducted as a follow-up to the initial review conducted in 2016.

“We found a longer list of negative physical and mental health outcomes associated with energy drink consumption in children and young people,” Amelia Lake, professor of public health nutrition at Teesside University and lead author of the study, told FoxNewsDigital. “We repeated (the review) only to see a clear and growing body of evidence that consumption of these beverages is associated with negative health effects.”