Authorities estimate that 100,000 Americans suffer from retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary disease also of the retina. It usually is transmitted by the unaffected mother to her male child and often skips several generations. Over the victim’s lifetime it gradually destroys the ability to see at night and reduces peripheral vision to leave only tunnel vision. This condition is due to changes in the retina.

The first symptoms appear in childhood or adolescence as night blindness and stumbling in the dark. The patient’s range of vision is narrowed, so he cannot see to the sides or above or below the visual object. Eye surgeons examine the retina with an ophthalmoscope, an instrument used to look at the eye interior. They find areas of black-colored matter scattered throughout, but mostly to the sides. The small retinal arteries and veins are gradually obliterated and replaced by scars. The principal complications are physical injuries due to poor vision.

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Food allergies

In many cases, a change in diet alone will be sufficient to see a huge improvement in a hyperactive child. Generally speaking, the younger the child the quicker and better the response.

However, some children also have some specific food Allergies. In many cases, cow’s milk and all cows’ milk products can be a problem for hyperactive children.

The only sure way to find out which foods a child is allergic to is to have him (most are boys) tested for a whole range of foods, or to cut out suspect foods from his diet.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

The HACSG has found that giving hyperactive children vitamin and mineral supplements is very helpful, in addition to making changes in their diet. In many cases they also suggest a hair analysis should be done in order to detect deficiencies of trace elements and minerals.

Almost all hyperactive children who are tested in this way are found to be very low in zinc and magnesium, although other anomalies do sometimes also show up. For example, some children have been found to have abnormal amounts of aluminium and lead, which could be responsible for some aspects of their behaviour or learning difficulties.

A general vitamin/mineral supplement plus a special zinc/ B6/magnesium supplement has proved to be very helpful in many cases. Zinc and magnesium are both needed to metabolize essential fatty acids properly.

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