Hyperactivity means there is too much muscle activity.

Hyperactivity is also used to describe a situation when a part of your body is t

oo active, such as when a gland makes too much of a hormone.
Considerations
Hyperactive behavior usually refers to constant activity, being easily distracte
d, impulsiveness, inability to concentrate, aggressiveness,
and similar behaviors.
Typical behaviors may include:
Fidgeting or constant moving
Wandering
Talking too much
Difficulty participating in quiet activities (such as reading)
Hyperactivity is not easily defined. It often depends on the observer. Behavior
that seems excessive to one person may not seem excessive to another.
However, certain children -- when compared to others -- are clearly far more act
ive, which can become a problem if it
interferes with school work or making friends.
Hyperactivity is often considered more of a problem for schools and parents than
it is for the child.
However, many hyperactive children are unhappy or even depressed.
Hyperactive behavior may make a child a target for bullying, or make it harder
to connect with other children.
Schoolwork may be more difficult. Kids who are hyperactive are frequently punish
ed for their behavior.
Excessive movement (hyperkinetic behavior) often decreases as the child grows ol
der. It may disappear entirely by adolescence.
Causes
Attention deficit disorder
Brain or central nervous system disorders
Emotional disorders
Hyperthyroidism
Home Care
A child who is normally very active often responds well to specific directions a
nd a program of regular physical activity.
\ A child with a hyperactivity disorder, on the other hand, has a hard time foll
owing directions and controlling impulses.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Your child seems persistently hyperactive.
Your child is very active, aggressive, impulsive, and has difficulty concentrati
ng.
Your child's activity level is causing social difficulties, or difficulty with s
choolwork.
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
The doctor or nurse will perform a physical exam and ask questions about the sym
ptoms and medical history, such as:
Is this a new behavior for the child, or has the child always been very active?
Is the behavior getting worse?
Exactly what behavior have you noticed?
Is the child physically active?
Is the child easily distracted?
Does the child have trouble following directions?
Have you noticed anything that makes the child more or less active?
Is the child more active at school than at home?
What other symptoms are present?
The doctor or nurse may recommend a complete psychological evaluation. There may
also be a review of the home and school environments.
Who Gets ADHD?
About 6%-8% of kids have ADHD. That means out of 100 kids, 6 to 8 of them may ha
ve ADHD. Kids who have ADHD usually start having problems in preschool.
Boys have ADHD more often than girls. In fact, about twice as many boys have AD
HD, but no one knows why.
A kid might have a greater chance of developing ADHD if one of his or her relati
ves already has ADHD or another type of behavior problem.
But no one is sure why anyone has ADHD, although scientists and doctors think th
at it probably has to do with differences in the way people's brains work.
No one gets ADHD on purpose, so it isn't ever anyone's fault. And ADHD isn't con
tagious you can't catch it from someone like the flu.
What Are the Signs of ADHD?
ADHD can cause kids to act in different ways, depending on who has it. Most kids
with ADHD have problems concentrating and paying attention.
Some also might have trouble sitting still in class and waiting for their turn.
They might yell out the answers before other kids have a chance to raise their h
ands.
Sometimes they can be disorganized, distracted, or forgetful. They might lose th
ings and have trouble finishing assignments.
They may wiggle around in their seats, move around a lot, talk too much, or inte
rrupt other people's conversations.
It's important to remember that everybody does these things once in a while. If
you do them, it doesn't mean you have ADHD.
If the Doctor Says It's ADHD
When parents and teachers suspect that a kid has ADHD, the first step is to visi
t the doctor,
who might then refer the kid to a specialist like a psychologist, psychiatrist,
or
behavioral pediatrician who knows about kids who have ADHD and other kinds of b
ehavior problems.
Part of the doctor's job is to check for other illnesses that look like ADHD bu
t need different kinds of treatment.
If the doctor determines that a kid has ADHD, then the doctor, parents, and teac
hers begin to work together to find out the best way to help.
Often this means starting one of the medicines used to treat ADHD, deciding how
much medicine is needed, and when to give it.
Kids with ADHD usually only have to take their medicine once before school,
but some might have to go to the nurse in the middle of the schoolday for medici
ne.
But kids who have ADHD need more than just medicine. They also need help learnin
g how to change the way they act.
Some can learn to do this by using relaxation therapy or behavioral therapy.
In relaxation therapy, counselors teach kids how to relax and stay calm by doing
deep-breathing exercises and relaxing different muscle groups.
Behavioral therapy teaches kids to set goals for themselves and uses rewards to
help them reach those goals.
Teachers can give a kid with ADHD a reward for sitting still in class, for exam
ple.
And parents can do the same thing at home (like rewarding a kid for paying atten
tion, completing chores, or keeping track of things).
Kids with ADHD might need extra help learning how to do things other kids find e
asy, and some can become depressed or anxious.
For many kids with ADHD, the key to success is not only following the treatment
plan from the doctor,
but working to build good friendships with other kids. And many find that their
symptoms get better as they get older.
Adults with ADHD can have happy lives and be very successful in whatever they d
ecide to do.
ADHD in Children: If a Cure is Worse than Symptoms, Go Natural!
So your child is hyperactive at times, maybe even impulsive, acting without thin
king of consequences.
And maybe he or she is even a bit of a daydreamer who doesnt pay attention when y
ou speak.
But when does this type of behavior cross the line into something thats more than
normal childhood behavior?
When is it a lack of control (parental or child) and when is it time to have you
r child evaluated for ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, is certainly a comm
on diagnosis for children today and the numbers just keep rising.
An estimated 4 12% of all school-aged children have ADHD and it affects more boy
s than girls, by a ratio of 3:1.