Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Cocaine is one of a number of street drugs that can be abused in a number of
different ways, including injecting, smoking, or taken in through the nose by
snorting.
Statistics about cocaine use in the United States include that 25 million
people have used it at least once, about 4.6 million people tend to use it once
per month or less, and about 2.4 million people use the substance at least twice
per week. More than 5% of people
who use cocaine just once go on to develop cocaine dependence within two years
after the first use. Other facts about cocaine use
are that up to $70 billion was spent on the drug from 1990 to 1999. Of the 4%
of women who use drugs during pregnancy, about 10% of them use cocaine. Overall,
the rate of cocaine use during pregnancy is 1.1% of all pregnant women under 44 years
of age.
What are cocaine's effects on the body and the mind?
The time it takes for a person to feel the effects of cocaine, as well as how
long cocaine stays in the system, is determined by the way the drug is taken.
For example, when in the form of crack cocaine, the individual feels the effects
within seconds, while cocaine that is snorted (taken intranasally) takes up to
10 minutes to take effect. Regardless of the way this drug is taken, it tends
to cause intense euphoria and pleasurable sensations, highly intensifying every
pleasure. Then the person tends to become hyperactive and excessively alert.
Once the high wears off (in less than 20 minutes for crack), the individual
often becomes agitated, irritable, and uncomfortable.
The physiological (biological) effects of cocaine on the brain involve the
drug's effects on chemicals called neurotransmitters. Specifically, cocaine
tends to dramatically increase the release of dopamine, norepinephrine and
serotonin. Because these chemicals are responsible for pleasure and well-being,
alertness, increase in blood pressure and pulse, as well as happiness, the
effects of cocaine on the body and mind are consistent with these effects. Other
physical signs and symptoms of cocaine use include decreased appetite, sleep,
and male infertility.
When a person withdraws from the effects of cocaine, the decrease in
neurotransmitters results in a sudden drop in blood pressure or pulse, severe
depression, and sometimes
suicidal thoughts and behavior. In the event of
cocaine overdose, the effect of excess dopamine can cause anger, aggressiveness,
violence, psychosis, and sometimes homicidal thoughts and behavior. Cocaine
abuse also tends to result in decreased inhibitions that can lead to risky
sexual behaviors.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly
elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above
140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
There are many symptoms involved in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. The first early pregnancy symptom is typically a missed period, but others include breast swelling and tenderness, nausea and sometimes vomiting, fatigue and bloating. Second trimester symptoms include backache, weight gain, itching, and possible stretch marks. Third trimester symptoms are additional weight gain, heartburn, hemorrhoids, swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face, breast tenderness, and trouble sleeping. Read more to learn about recommended procedures and tests for each stage of a healthy pregnancy.
Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
Nosebleed is common in dry climates during winter months, and in hot dry climates with low humidity. Individual taking blood clotting medications, aspirin, or antiinflammatory medications may be more prone to nose bleeding. Other factors that contribute to nosebleed are trauma (including nose picking), rhinitis, and high blood pressure. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects humans when it comes in contact with a break in the skin or tissues such as those that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes.
A stroke results from impaired oxygen delivery to brain cells via the bloodstream. A stroke is also referred to as a CVA, or cerebrovascular incident. Symptoms of stroke include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance, and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary
artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack can cause chest pain, heart failure, and electrical
instability of the heart.
Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make the right decisions and increase the urge to take drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are preventable.
A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep can hurt memory performance, health, and your mood.
Compulsive gambling is a disorder that affects millions in the U.S. Symptoms and signs include a preoccupation with gambling, lying to family or loved ones to hide gambling, committing crimes to finance gambling, and risking importance relationships and employment due to gambling. Treatment may incorporate participation in Gamblers' Anonymous, psychotherapy, and medications like carbamazepine, topiramate, lithium, naltrexone, antidepressants, clomipramine, and fluvoxamine.
Domestic violence, or intimate partner abuse, is when one person in an intimate relationship uses any means to control the other person. It may take many forms, including emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, or economic abuse. Risk factors for domestic violence include drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment, and having a relationship with the victim. Part of treating domestic violence involves keeping the victim safe and developing a safety plan for home and the workplace.
Ecstasy (MDMA), Rohypnol, ketamine and GHB are a few of the different types of drugs abused at bars, raves and parties. Rohypnol may produce amnesia, GHB may result in sleep, coma, or death, and ketamine can cause dreamlike states and hallucinations. Treatment of club drug addiction focuses on monitoring and managing withdrawal symptoms.
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