HUMAN HEALTH - DRUG ABUSE 2

ADDICTION AND DEPENDENCE

Addiction is a psychological attachment to certain effects –such as euphoria and a temporary feeling of well-being – associated with drugs and alcohol.

Mechanism

Repeated use of drugs- tolerance level of the receptors  -- receptors respond only to higher doses of drugs or alcohol -- greater intake and addiction.

Dependence is the tendency of the body to manifest a characteristic and unpleasant withdrawal syndrome if regular dose of drugs/alcohol is abruptly discontinued.

Withdrawal syndrome is characterised by anxiety, shakiness, nausea and sweating.

Sometimes the withdrawal features can be fatal. So person and relatives should be careful.

EFFECTS, PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF DRUG/ALCOHOL ABUSE

Immediate effects are reckless behaviour, vandalism and violence.

Excessive doses of drugs may lead to coma and death due to respiratory failure, heart failure or cerebral hemorrhage.

Iv drug abusers can get infected with AIDS, hepatitis B.

The chronic use of drugs and alcohol damages nervous system and cause liver cirrhosis.

drugs and alcohol during pregnancy -- adversely affect the foetus.

Use of anabolic steroids in females -- masculinisation, increased aggressiveness, mood swings, depression, abnormal menstrual cycles, excessive hair, growth on the face and body, enlargement of clitoris, deepening of voice.

In males anabolic steroids can cause acne, increased aggressiveness, mood swings, depression, reduction of size of the testicles, decreased sperm production, potential for kidney and liver dysfunction, breast enlargement, premature baldness, enlargement of the prostate gland.

 

Prevention and Control

The measures useful for prevention and control of alcohol and drugs abuse among adolescents-

• Avoid undue peer pressure on children.
• Children should be educated and counseled to bear problems and stress in life.
• The child should seek help from parents and elders.
• Affected individuals should seek medical help of qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, and deaddiction and rehabilitation programmes.

HUMAN HEALTH - DRUG ABUSE

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

The drugs which are commonly abused are opioids, cannabinoids and coca alkaloids.

Opoids-

•  bind to specific opioid receptors present in our central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.
• Heroin commonly called smack is chemically diacetylmorphine which is a white, odourless, bitter crystalline compound and is obtained by acetylation of morphine extracted from the latex of poppy plant Papaver somniferum

• Heroin is a depressant and slows down body functions.

Cannabinoids

• Cannabinoids interact with cannabinoid receptors present principally in the brain.
• Natural cannabinoids are obtained from the inflorescences of the plant Cannabis sativa.

• The flower tops, leaves and the resin of cannabis plant are used in various combinations to produce marijuana, hashish, charas and ganja.

• Effects on cardiovascular system of the body.

Coca alkaloid

• Coca alkaloid or cocaine is obtained from coca plant Erythroxylum coca.

• Coca alkaloid interferes with the transport of the neuro-transmitter dopamine.
• Cocaine, commonly called as coke or crack .
• It has a potent stimulating action on central nervous system, producing a sense of euphoria and increased energy.
• Excessive dosage of cocaine causes hallucinations

• Some plants with hallucinogenic properties are Atropa belladona

• Drugs like barbiturates, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, lysergic acid diethyl amides (LSD) are used as medicines to help patients cope with mental illnesses like depression and insomnia, are often abused.

• Morphine is a very effective sedative and painkiller is often abused.

Tobacco-

• Tobacco contains nicotine, an alkaloid.
• Nicotine stimulates adrenal gland to release adrenaline and nor-adrenaline into blood circulation, both of which raise blood pressure and increase heart rate.

• Smoking of tobacco is associated with increased incidence of cancers of lung, urinary bladder, throat, oral cavity, bronchitis, emphysema, coronary heart disease, gastric ulcer etc.

ADOLESCENCE AND DRUG/ALCOHOL ABUSE

Adolescence means both ‘a period’ and ‘a process’ during which a child becomes mature in terms of his/her attitudes and beliefs for effective participation in society.

12-18 years of age may be thought of as adolescence period.

Adolescence is accompanied by several biological and behavioural changes.

Curiosity, need for adventure and excitement, and experimentation, constitute common causes, which motivate youngsters towards drug and alcohol use.

HUMAN HEALTH - AIDS

AIDS

The term AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome.

The disease is acquired during life time.

AIDS is caused by human immune deficiency virus (HIV).

HIV is a retrovirus having RNA as the genetic material.

Mode of transmission-

• Sexual contact with infected persons.
• By transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products.
• By sharing infected needles as in the case of intravenous drug abusers.
• From infected mother to her child through placenta.

Life cycle of HIV

• After getting into the body the virus enters into macrophages or T-helper cells.
• The viral RNA genome replicated to form viral DNA with the enzyme called reverse transcriptase.
• The viral DNA gets incorporated into the host cell’s DNA -- directs the infected cells to produce virus particles and the macrophages continue to produce virus.
• Viruses released from macrophages attack T-helper cells and cause a progressive decrease in the number of T helper cells
• Low T cells count -- low immunity--  suffering from infections with several other microorganisms.





Diagnosed by ELISA (enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay).

Treated with anti-retroviral drugs but that is only partially effective.

Prevention of AIDS-

• To follow safe blood transfusion.
• To use disposable needles.
• To distribute free condoms.
• To prevent drug abuse

CANCER

uncontrolled cell division -- formation of a mass of cells called as a tumor.

Contact inhibition is the property of normal cells by virtue of which contact with other cells inhibits their uncontrolled growth.

Cancer cells lost the property of contact inhibition -- cancerous cells continue to divide -- tumor.

Tumors are of two types: benign and malignant.

1. Benign tumors-  normally remain confined to their original location and do not spread to other parts of the body.

2. malignant tumors are a mass of proliferating cells called neoplastic or tumor cells.

Malignant tumors grow very rapidly and invade and ultimately damage surrounding tissues.

The property by which cancer cells moves to distant places from their origin by blood and invade the normal cells and make them cancerous is called as metastasis

Causes of cancer-

• Transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells may be induced by physical, chemical or biological agents called as carcinogens
• Physical carcinogens- ionising radiation like X-rays, gamma rays and non- ionising radiation like UV radiation of sun.
• Chemical carcinogens- tobacco smoke and some other chemicals.
• Biological carcinogens-

1. Cancer causing viruses are called oncogenic viruses have genes called viral oncogenes.

2. Cellular oncogenes or proto-oncogenes in normal cells, when get activated lead to oncogenic transformation of normal cells.

Detection of cancer-

• Endoscopy

• Biopsy and histo-pathological study of the tissues.
• Radiography by using X-rays, CT (computed tomography).
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
• Use of antibodies against cancer-specific antigens.

Treatment of cancer-

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy
• Biological response modifiers- alpha-interferon which activate the immune system and help in destroying the tumor.

HUMAN HEALTH - IMMUNITY 3

IMMUNE SYSTEM IN THE BODY

Immune system consists of-

• Lymphoid organs
• Lymphoid tissues
• B- cells and T-cells
• Antibodies

Lymphoid organs-

The organs where origin and/or maturation and proliferation of lymphocytes.

Lymphoid organs are of two types-

1. Primary lymphoid organs

2. Secondary lymphoid organs.

1. The primary lymphoid organs - bone marrow and thymus -- immature lymphocytes differentiate into antigen-sensitive lymphocytes.

The bone marrow is the main lymphoid organ where all blood cells including lymphocytes are produced.

The thymus is a lobed organ located near the heart and beneath the breastbone.

2. Secondary lymphoid organs- Spleen, tonsil, lymph node, Peyer’s patches of small intestine and appendix- proliferation of lymphocytes.

The secondary lymphoid organs -- interaction of lymphocytes with the antigen -- proliferate -- effector cells.

The spleen is a large bean shaped organ mainly contains lymphocytes and phagocytes - acts as a filter of the blood by trapping blood-borne microorganisms and has a large reservoir of erythrocytes.

The lymph nodes are small solid structures located at different points along the lymphatic system.

Tonsils

Appendix

Peyer's patches

Lymphoid tissue-

Lymphoid tissue are located within the lining of the respiratory, digestive and urogenital tracts.

Lymphoid tissues are also called mucosalassociated lymphoid tissue (MALT) which constitutes about 50 per cent ofthe lymphoid tissue in human body.