Role of

Medicines Chapter 19 Lesson 1

Types of Medicine

Medicines – drugs that are used to treat or prevent diseases or other conditions

Drugs – substances other than food that change the structure or function of the body or mind

All medicines are drugs = not all drugs are medicines

Medicines classified into 4 categories:

Help prevent disease

Fight pathogens

Relieve pain and other symptoms

Manage chronic conditions, help maintain or restore health, and regulate body systems

Preventing Disease

Vaccines – preparation that prevents a

person from contracting a specific disease

Produces antibodies that fight disease causing

pathogens

Some vaccines must be must be re-given in

time

Tetanus, flu, etc

Fighting Pathogens Antibiotics – destroy disease causing

bacteria “miracle drugs” when first invented

Do have some side effects (nausea, vomiting, stomach pain)

Can develop a resistance

Over use

Not taking prescription as prescribed

Antivirals/Antifungals – to treat illness or take away symptoms, does not cure Will have flare ups

Relieving Pain

Analgesics – pain reliever

Mild (asprin, tylenol) to narcotics

(morphine and codeine)

Generally used to relieve pain, reduce

fever, fight inflammation, swelling

May still cause side effects

Can overuse or have body resistance

Dependence – physically or

psychologically required for existence

Managing Chronic Conditions Allergy medicine – antihistamine

Body Regulating – insulin, inhalers

Antidepressant/Antipsycotic – suffering

from mental illness

Cancer Treatment – treatment of cancer,

slows cell growth, or treatment of side

effects

Taking Medication

Oral – by mouth, pass from digestive

system into blood stream

Topical – applied to skin

Transdermal – patches medicate

through skin

Inhaled – breathed in through mist or

powder

Injected – shot directly into the blood

stream

Reactions to Medications Side effects – reactions to medicine other

than one intended

Drowsiness, upset stomach, dizziness, etc

Tolerance – body becomes used to the

effect of medicine

Withdrawal – when you stop using the

medication, or are psychologically

dependent

Using Medication Safely FDA – Food and Drug Administration

Prescription meds – only with written

approval

Over the Counter (OTC) – medicines you

can buy without a doctor’s prescription

Some are controlled

Pay attention to the label!

Ingredients, use, warnings, expiration date,

purpose, directions or other information

Misuse & Abuse Misuse – using a med in a way other than

intended

Not following instructions, taking too much or

not enough, longer or shorter than

recommended, mixing meds

Abuse – intentionally taking for

nonmedical reasons

Drug overdose – strong sometimes fatal

reactions taking a large amount of a drug

ND Statistics Percentage of students who have taken over-the-

counter drugs to get high one or more times

during their life.

11.2%

Percentage of students who have taken a

prescription drug (such as OxyContin, Percocet,

Vicodin, Codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax)

without a doctor’s prescription one or more times

during their life.

16.2%

Tobacco Chapter 20

Tobacco Nicotine – highly addictive, stimulant

Increases the action of the central

nervous system, heart, and other organs

Raise blood pressure, increases heart rate

Carcinogen – cancer causing

87% of cancer deaths result from smoking

Smoking Tobacco Carbon monoxide – colorless, odorless,

and poisonous gas, depletes oxygen

found in paint, rat poison, and toilet cleaner

Tar – thick, sticky, dark fluid produced

when tobacco is burned

Sticks to lungs, destroys air sacs which absorb

oxygen

Higher rates of bronchitis, pneumonia,

emphysema

Smokeless tobacco Sniffed through the nose, held in the mouth, or

chewed

Effects last 3 times longer than that of a cigarette

smoked

Leukoplakia – sores in the mouth that can develop

into oral cancer

Impacts mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, stomach,

and pancreas

Harmful Effects of Tobacco Short Term

Brain chemistry changes – cravings, experience

withdrawal, headaches, nervousness, trembling

about 30 minutes after last tobacco use

Respiration and heart rate increase – makes

breathing during physical activity difficult, no

endurance, irregular heart rate

Taste buds dulled/appetite reduced

Bad breath, yellowed teeth and skin, smelly hair

and clothing

Harmful Effects, cont. Long Term

Chronic bronchitis – tar buildup, chronic coughing,

excessive mucus

Emphysema – nearly impossible to breathe, 80% of all

energy used just to breathe

Lung cancer – can not get rid of mucus (90% of lung

cancer caused by smoking)

Coronary heart disease and stroke – constricts blood

cells, cuts down blood flow to limbs, contributes to

plaque buildup clogging arteries

Weakened immune system – lowers effectiveness

and makes it more vulnerable to sickness and other

disease

Smoke-free environments Second hand smoke – smoke in the air from

a smoker

Eye irritation, headaches, ear infections, and

coughing

Third hand smoke – remaining parts of

smoke left on items

ND Statistics Percentage of students who ever tried

cigarette smoking, even one or two puffs. 44.1%

Percentage of students who smoked cigarettes on one or more of the past 30 days. 19.4%

Among students who reported current cigarette use, the percentage who ever tried to quit smoking cigarettes during the past 12 months. 52.8%

Alcohol Chapter 21

Factors that Influence Effects:

Body size – smaller feel effects faster

Gender – females faster than males

Food – slows down passage of alcohol into

blood

Rate of intake – faster drinks taken in,

harder for liver to break down

Amount – amount consumed raises alcohol

in bloodstream

Medicine – can interfere with effects

(absorb more slowly, decrease

effectiveness, change chemicals)

Short-term effects

Depressant – slows down body systems

Slows reaction time

Impairs vision

Diminishes judgment

Intoxication – state when the body is

poisoned by alcohol or other substances,

physical and mental control reduced

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Long Term Effects Damage brain cells

Increase blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes

Buildup of fat cells in the liver, lead to death of liver

Damage to digestive lining causing ulcers and

cancer

Destruction of pancreas

Destruction of social relationships

If stop using, can reduce some effects but can

never repair everything

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Binge Drinking & Alcohol Poisoning Binge drinking – drinking five or more alcoholic

drinks at one sitting

Alcohol poisoning – a severe and potentially fatal

physical reaction to an alcohol overdose

Mental confusion and stupor

Coma

Vomiting and seizures

Slow respiration

Irregular heart beat

Hypothermia

Call 911 immediately!

Risks of Alcohol Use Law – illegal to possess, buy, or consume

Leads to arrests, sentencing, conviction

Violence – fights much more likely, victim or

perpetrator of violent crimes (rape, aggravated

assault and robbery)

Sexual activity – impairs judgment, lowers

inhibitions, compromise values

Increases risks for not using protection

Family – neglect, abuse, isolation, economic,

mental illness

School – kills brain cells, takes away concentration,

poor grades

Impact of Alcohol Abuse Alcoholism – disease that affects the person who

drinks and others around him/her

Stage 1 – abuse

Stage 2 – dependence

Stage 3 – addiction

Alcoholic – person addicted to alcohol

The more you use the braver you get, the more risks

that you are willing to take

Driving

Pregnancy

ND statistics Percentage of students who had at least one

drink of alcohol on one or more days during their

life.

68.3%

Percentage of students who had at least one

drink of alcohol on one or more of the past 30

days.

38.8%

Percentage of students that believe drinking

among teenagers is un-acceptable in their

community.

42.6%

Choosing to Live Alcohol Free

Find supportive people

Find a positive focus

Set goals

Maintain a healthy body

Illegal Drugs Chapter 22

Factors Influencing Teens Peer pressure

Family members

Role models

Media messages

Perceptions of drug behavior

Misleading information

Substance Abuse

Unnecessary or improper use of chemical

substances for non-medical purposes

Leading cause of crime, suicide, and

unintentional injuries

Illegal – chemicals that people of any age

can not lawfully manufacture, possess, buy

or sell

Illicit drug use – use or sale of any

substance that is illegal or not permitted

Sale of prescription meds

How Drugs Affect Your Health

Physical Health – serious risk of overdose, if

needles are in use higher risks of hepatitis B

and HIV

Mental Health – alter and impair ability to

reason and think, plays a huge roll in

controlling emotions

Social Health – may lose friendships,

relationships with family may become

strained, may deal with the law

Other effects Tolerance – requires the body to have more and

more to achieve same high

Psychological dependence – a person beliefs that

a drug is needed in order to feel good or function

normally

Physiological dependence – body develops a

chemical need for the drug, withdrawal occurs

Addiction – persistent, compulsive use, difficulty

stopping on their own

Even small amounts can lead to a serious cycle of

addiction

Marijuana

Plant whose leaves, buds, and flowers are

smoked because of the intoxication

Most widely used illegal drug

Nicknamed – weed, grass, pot

Hashish or hash – stronger form

Considered as a gateway drug

60s weed is not the same as today’s weed

What it does to the body? - Page 599

Consequences of Marijuana

Similar risks as tobacco users

Weaken the immune system

Affects reproductive system

Males –reduces testosterone, Females – raises

testosterone (can lead to infertility)

Raises levels of dopamine “feel good drug”

Slows mental reflexes

Short term memory harm

Distorted perception, loss of coordination, trouble

thinking and problem solving

May lead to being very sleepy

ND Statistics Percentage of students who tried

marijuana for the first time before age 13

years.

6.3%

Percentage of students who used

marijuana one or more times during the

past 30 days.

15.3%

Inhalants Substances whose fumes are sniffed or inhaled to

get the side effects

Solvents, aerosols, glues, paints, varnishes, gasoline

Most depress nervous system

Glassy stare, slurred speech, impaired judgment,

nausea, coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of

coordination

Permanent brain damage, damage to liver and

kidneys, blindness, paralysis, cardiac arrest, death

Be sure to work in well ventilated areas

Steroids Anabolic-androgenic – synthetic, similar to male

sex hormones

Some steroids prescribed by a doctor, but must be under doctor care

Unnatural muscle growth, lack of support from tendons and ligaments

Weight gain, acne, high blood pressure, liver and kidney tumors

Usually injected with needles, risk of HIV or Hepatitis B

Violent mood swings, depression, paranoia, baldness, shrinking testicles, lower sperm count, development of breasts, increased risk of prostate cancer

Psychoactive Drugs Chemicals that affect the central nervous

system and change activity in the brain

4 types:

Stimulants, depressants, opiates, hallucinogens

Some have medicinal value

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Club Drugs Can be disguised in food, drinks = taken without

knowledge

Designer drugs – made to impersonate other drugs,

normally MUCH stronger than original

Ecstasy –stimulant and hallucinogen, gives euphoria

Rohypnol – “roofies” – depressant or sedative that slows

CNS – date rape drug

GHB – depressant – can also be used as a date rape drug

Ketamine – used to treat animals, hallucinations and respiratory failure when used in humans

Methamphetamine – stimulant, euphoria – depression

paranoia, delusions, death

LSD (acid) – cause hallucinations, flashbacks, extreme

euphoria to panic or terror, can lead to death

Other Stimulants Cocaine – highly addictive stimulant, white

powder, surge of confidence and euphoria, then

deep depression, fatigue, paranoia

Sometimes injected – HIV or Hepatitis B

Crack – more dangerous form of cocaine, reaches

the brain in seconds, in the blood the heart rate

and blood pressure soar to dangerous levels,

death, fatal if mixed with alcohol (liver failure)

Amphetamines – some used to stay alert, improve

athletic performance, lose weight – irregular heart

beat, paranoia, aggressive behavior, heart failure

Other Depressants Barbiturates – mood changes, excessive

sleepiness, coma, intoxication, combined with

alcohol can be fatal

Tranquilizers – relieve anxiety, muscle spasms,

sleeplessness, and nervousness – coma and

death

Hallucinogens Overload the brain’s sensory controls

Alter mood, impair judgment, thoughts, sense of perception

X, ketamine, LSD

Increase heart and respiratory rates

PCP – angel dust – one of the most dangerous, distorted sense of time, increased violent feelings, inability to feel pain, mental flashbacks of pain, confusion

DXM – cough suppressant OTC –paranoia, panic attacks, nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, seizures, and addiction

Mushrooms – poisoning and death with toxic species

Opiates Generally used to control pain when directed by

a health care profession

Codeine – highly addictive, causes dizziness, labored breathing, low blood pressure, seizures, respiratory arrest

Allergic reactions

Morphine – used only a short time, fast or slow heart beat, seizures, blurred vision, rashes, difficulty swallowing

Heroin – slows breathing and pulse rate, cause infection of the heart, liver disease, HIV and hepatitis B

Oxycodone – suppression of respiratory system, cause death from respiratory failure

Other ND Drug Statistics Percentage of students who used any form of cocaine,

including powder, crack, or freebase one or more times during their life.

6.0%

Percentage of students who sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol spray cans, or inhaled any paints or sprays to get high one or more times during their life.

11.6%

Percentage of students who used a needle to inject any illegal drug into their body one or more times during their life.

2.0%

Percentage of students who were offered, sold, or given an illegal drug by someone on school property during the past 12 months.

20.8%