Help for improving concentration and preventing adult and child concentration problems.

What are Concentration Problems?

Concentration is the ability to focus attention on a task for a period of time, while blocking out other distracting thoughts. These can include background noise, visual distractions and wandering thoughts.

The ability to concentrate makes work easier, improves attention spans and results in fewer mistakes.

Focusing skills have become an even bigger challenge in today’s digitally connected world. Phone calls, text messages and social media are all distractions that make it harder to pay attention in the present moment.

Distractions make it difficult to think clearly, stay focused on a task or maintain attention span. These skills are critical for brain function, learning new things and improving performance in many different situations. Severe concentration problems can have serious mental, physical and emotional consequences.

Diagnosing Concentration Problems

A person’s ability to stay focused depends on a combination of factors:

• Dedication or commitment to the task at hand
• Interest in the task
• Skill and ability to perform the task
• A content emotional and physical state
• An appropriate environment with few distractions

If these elements are balanced, the brain can stay focused on the desired stimuli and block out unwanted or irrelevant thoughts. When they are out of balance, it becomes harder to concentrate.

Sometimes, our lack of focus is simply due to material that is uninteresting or too complicated. Or, we may feel physical discomfort, suffer from emotional distress, or hear too much noise in the room. When we eliminate these distractions, paying attention becomes easier.

In children, attention troubles can be an early sign of learning disorders or disabilities. If lack of focus gets in the way of a child’s daily functioning, have them evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Dropping grades at school, declining performance at work, and a change in physical abilities can all indicate a problem.

What Causes Concentration Problems?

Each person is unique, so what causes distraction for one person may not bother another at all.

Help for Concentration Problems

Treatment for concentration problems depends on the reason you’re having trouble focusing.

Make an appointment to see your doctor if:

• Your memory is affected worse than usual
• You’re experiencing decreased performance in work or school
• You have difficulty sleeping or unusual feelings of tiredness
• Your lack of focus affects your ability to enjoy your life or function day-to-day
• Your ability to enjoy life is affected

Doctors may prescribe medication when needed. Be sure to ask about possible side effects.

For a more natural approach, make simple changes in diet, sleep, exercise and daily routine. Consider dietary supplements to improve your concentration:

• Focus Formula™ for Concentration and Mental Focus – promotes focus and attention span, staying on task and memory.
• StudyPlus™ for Promoting Study Performance promotes memory and concentration, alertness and endurance; promotes calm.

Attention issues are rarely a medical emergency, but seek medical care if any of these symptoms occur:

• Loss of consciousness
• Numbness or tingling on only one side of the body
• Severe headache
• Severe chest pain
• Sudden, unexplained memory loss

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