Drugs (Irritability) Flashcards
What is a drug?
A drug may be defined as any chemical substance besides food, that when taken into the body, alters its structure and/or function.
What are drugs used for?
Drugs may be used for treating ,diagnosing and preventing disease as well as it may be used for non-medicinal purposes.
Advantages of drugs
- For treating diseases e.g. antiretroviral drugs help to keep persons with AIDS healthy Penicillin is a common antibiotic used for the treatment of many bacterial infections.
- For diagnosing diseases.
- For preventing diseases e.g. multivitamins
- For controlling pain e.g. the use of Aspirin for pain relief
Types of drugs
prescription (antibiotics and drugs for hypertension)
non- perscription (panadol, pain relief)
medicinal (purpose of healing)
non-medicinal (alcohol)
legal
illegal
What is an illegal drug?
An illegal drug is defined as one that once in possession is forbidden by the laws of the country.
Depressants
slow down the actions of the nervous system (heroine, alcohol, barbituaries, tranqulizers and morphine)
Stimulant
speeds up the actions of the nervous system, higly addictive (amph, cociane, crack cocine, escatsy and nictoine)
Hallucigens
affect the nervous system and produces feelings of false reality(cannabis i.e. marajuana, lsd, glue)
chronic abuse
the result of high consumption over a long time
abuse of painkillers
leads to kidney damage raised blood pressure, anemia and digestive problems, if it continues can lead to kidney failure without trestment death.
psychoactive drugs
affects the mental and behavioural state and interferes with the nervous system
physical dependance
when the body adapts to a drug and increaes its tolerence to the drug’s effects
drug abuse
If abused, i.e. used wrongly, all drugs, including prescriptiondrugs, can become addictive and harmful. If the drug is then withdrawn, the user suffers from withdrawal symptoms.
short term effects of alcohol
Impaired muscular skills, reduced muscular coordination and slowed reflexes.
Impaired mental functioning, concentration and judgement.
• Blurred vision and slurred speech.
• Memory lapses.
• Drowsiness.
Increased urine production leading to dehydration. • Loss of consciousness.
long term effects alcohol
Long-term memory loss.
• Increased blood pressure causing heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
• Inflammation of the stomach walls, stomach ulcers and other intestinal disorders.
Fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.
Nervous system disorders and brain damage as brain cells die.
• Cancer of the mouth, throat and oesophagus.
Delirium tremens (DTs), a condition characterised by body tre