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Overdose

The Neurological Effects

Leave a Comment / Addiction, drugs, Overdose /

The Neurological Effects of Heroin Heroin is known as an opioid drug, synthesized from morphine. While morphine occurs naturally from Asian poppy plants, there is nothing natural about heroin. It typically looks like a brown or white powder, or as “black tar”, a sticky, black substance. The drug has a dependency rate of 23 percent; this is the percent of people who become addicted after just one use. The drug is used by injection, inhalation, or smoking. The drug travels to the brain quickly via all three methods, which is why it is among the most dangerous drugs on the market. Addiction happens quickly and often, and heroin use is a chronic relapsing disease. This is due to the changes it causes in the brain. How it Affects the Brain Upon entrance to the brain, heroin changes back to its original morphine. This drug binds to the brain cells called opioid receptors. These are located all over the brain, but are concentrated in the reward and pain sections. The receptors are also heavily located in the brain stem, which controls a number of functions essential to existence. An overdose of this drug often involves breathing suppression. This leads to hypoxia, or a loss of oxygen to the brain. Depending on how long the sufferer has limited oxygen supply, the effects can vary from psychological damage to brain death. Permanent brain damage is also a possibility with overdose. Heroin produces a euphoric rush, followed by flushed skin, dry mouth, heaviness in the arms and legs, and limited mental functions. After the initial rush, the drug suppresses the user’s brain stem, causing an alternate sleepy to energized state. Research is currently being conducted into the long term effects of this drug on the brain. One of the noted results was tolerance to the drug, another was dependence on the drug, more so than other illicit drugs or alcohol. Some studies return a deterioration of the white matter in the brain through heroin use. If you’d like to talk more about heroin effects on the brain, call the Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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Amphetamines

14 Comments / Drug interactions, Overdose /

The Neurological Effects of Amphetamines Amphetamines are drugs commonly prescribed to patients and in wide use in the medical community.  They include medications such as Adderal, Ritalin and Concerta. They are the most common drugs on the black market because they are still legal in a medical context. However, the medical response to the illegal sale of these drugs is the regulation of prescriptions. For example, if a person is prescribed Adderal, the prescription will only be filled once a month. The patient is entered into a drug database to avoid patients visiting multiple doctors seeking drugs, and pharmacies keep stringent records of patients receiving these drugs. What the Drugs Do for Ill Patients The drugs are designed to regulate a person’s brain when something isn’t right. Adderal is prescribed to help ADHD patients concentrate, because the concentration center in the brain is not working correctly. The drug also helps curb impulses, keeping a person calm and helping him or her with reasoning skills. Paxil, an anxiety medication, works in the same manner, helping the brain fire neurons correctly, so a person feels calmer and can function in society. What it Does to a Properly Functioning Brain A person whose neurons fire correctly and who does not need the drug to regulate brain function feels a high when on these drugs. All these drugs are stimulants; they help increase dopamine in the brain, helping the brain function correctly. Stimulants are diagnosed in careful increments, to slowly increase the dopamine in the brain. The high comes when someone takes more than the recommended dosage, or when a person already has the correct amount of dopamine in the brain. An addict feels a sense of euphoria through the increase in dopamine. The drugs make the person feel good, which leads to addiction and an increased need for the drug. Those with no abnormal dopamine levels raise their levels through drug abuse; unfortunately, those who suffer from low dopamine levels are often victims of theft from addicts. Amphetamines have been a problem for decades, which has led to the aforementioned response from the medical community. These drugs are still easy to obtain and easier to abuse, which makes them one of the most dangerous drugs available. If you’d like to talk more about amphetamine effect on the brain, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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Fall and fall prevention

Leave a Comment / ageing, Home Health, Overdose /

Fall and fall prevention and is medication overdosage can be the result of a fall.. An Overview of Falls in the Elderly Falls are one of the main concerns among the aging population. There are several risk factors, including drugs, in fall risks among seniors. Drug metabolism, efficacy and ADRs are different for older individuals, so monitoring all drugs is essential in preventing falls. Healthcare professionals must be aware that drugs are a potential cause of falls, and family members must realize that fall risk increases in nursing homes. Home health care reduces the risk; monitoring drug intake also decreases fall risks. The statistics on falls is alarming. A third of people over age 65 fall at least once a year. Half fall more than once a year. Fall accidents in nursing homes increases to 50% per year. Falling is the leading cause of injury in older citizens, resulting in increased medical care. Many falls do not require medical attention, however, one-tenth require the attention of an emergency department. The most common fall injuries in the emergency room are fractures at 59%, superficial (bruising) at 20%, and head injuries at 8%. A third of emergency patients are admitted to the hospital. The United States sees nearly 600,000 elderly people hospitalized every year due to a fall. Many people reported a decrease in quality of life after a fall, while others reported decreased mobility, decreased self-care, decline in normal activities, and anxiety or depression. These symptoms continued nearly a year after the incident. Negative health effects are closely tied to fear of falling. Seniors will reduce physical activity, reduce their social calendars, and fail to report medical issues, due to a fear of falling. What Are the Risk Factors? Over 20 risk factors for falls have been identified among the elderly. The risk factor categories are intrinsic (balance or vision impairment), and extrinsic (slippery flooring, external causes). Major risk factors are a history of falling, impairment in mobility, impairment in cognition, drugs, and age. Drug Related Falls The majority of people aged over 55 years are prescribed at least one drug, typically more. Over 20% take four or more drugs on a daily basis. Adverse drug reactions (ADR) often occur, even under the watchful eye of a physician. Two-thirds of hospitalizations linked to ADR occur in seniors over 60. OIder people hold a higher risk of an ADR due to polypharmacy, social settings, cognitive impairment, comorbidities, and physiological changes. The exact number of falls related to ADR is unknown because, unfortunately, falls are not recognized as an official ADR. A number of drugs are commonly associated with increased fall risk. Among this list is cardiac, psychotropic, and analgesic drugs. Nine more drugs include: diuretics, antihypertensive, beta blockers, neuroleptics, sedatives, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, and narcotics. Antidepressants have the highest fall risk, with hypnotics and benzodiazepines following close behind. Preventing Falls All factors must be evaluated in a fall. Most falls have a number of different reasons, therefore, a multidisciplinary fall program is necessary. This means communication with doctors, geriatricians, caregivers, and home health care providers, to find all factors that contributed to the fall. Drugs are one of the easiest modifiable factors in a fall. A fall-prevention program, in conjunction with consistent drug monitoring, will help ease the amount of falls in the patient population. Falls are the leading cause of injuries among older adults, aged 65 years and older. Furthermore, falls are an increasing public health problem because of aging populations worldwide due to an increase in the number of older adults, and an increase in life expectancy. Numerous studies have identified risk factors and investigated possible strategies to prevent (recurrent) falls in community-dwelling older people and those living in long-term care facilities. Several types of drugs have been associated with an increased fall risk. Since drugs are a modifiable risk factor, periodic drug review among older adults should be incorporated in a fall prevention programme. At Vancouver Home Health Caring Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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Water Overdose

1 Comment / Overdose /

Water Overdose is a Reality That We All Need to Watch Water overdose is called EAH, or exercise associated hyponatremia, in the medical community. This is because athletes are the most common types of people who suffer from water overdose. However, anyone can suffer from this condition, especially since the importance of water has been pushed over the past few years. As people strive to be healthier, they drink more water, and EAH has been the outcome. EAH happens when someone drinks too much water or even too much sports drink. The body cannot remove the excess water, and it can lead to a person’s death. In fact, a woman in California died from this condition after trying to win a Nintendo WII in  a competition. She was not an athlete; she simply drank too much water and did not allow herself to urinate, according to the contest rules. She passed away and the radio station hosting the contest was sued. The condition is so serious that a California panel, the International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, meets every year. The conference intends to launch a campaign to raise awareness of fluid imbalance. Too little water hurts; too much also kills. The Conference is determined to help individuals understand this. In fact, many researchers agree that more education is necessary to make people aware that there is such a thing as safe hydration. Athletes are consistently taught to stay hydrated, especially while working out. However, when drinking water becomes a habit over a need, the body gets too much water, and overdose is possible. Athletes and others need to learn responsible hydration, which means not drinking if you do not feel thirsty. The body is an intelligent machine and will crave water when necessary. Doctors state that mild to moderate dehydration is not life threatening, and is ok in most cases. Those who hydrate without allowing the body to first ask for the water are often over hydrating and placing themselves in danger. The best rule of thumb is the eight glasses a day guideline. Athletes who feel they need more should consult a doctor to find their personal daily water limit. Working out is a great idea, but every part must be done in a healthy manner, even the water intake. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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