Head Trauma and Its Effects
Head trauma is an incredibly enormous public health problem as it is one of the most common forms of bodily injuries that occur today. Traumatic brain injuries can cause little to no permanent damage to disability to death. More than $25 billion is spent each year in the United States on patient care when dealing with head trauma. The majority of head trauma injuries occur in adolescents and young adults. There are over 200 cases per 100,000 people in the United States each year involving head trauma. The United States has a population over 300 million, with close to 600,000 new head trauma cases occurring each year. 10 percent of those cases are fatalities which results in 550,000 people being hospitalized with head trauma injuries.
Head injuries can occur when people are playing sports, riding motorcycles without helmets, swimming, fooling around on solid ground and when people are involved in motor vehicle accidents. There are two main forms of head trauma; closed head injury and penetrating head injury. Head injuries occur all too often, especially in sports, which is why baseball, football, hockey, softball field hockey and lacrosse players are required to wear helmets during practices and games. Head injuries can occur to baseball and softball players when they are batting (being hit in the head with a pitched ball) or when they are in the field (being hit in the head by a batted ball). Head injuries can occur to football players during helmet to helmet hits on the football field.
There are five main symptoms that can appear in people with possible head trauma. Those five main symptoms are a cloudy consciousness, lethargy, obtundation, stupor, coma and brain death. A cloudy consciousness is when the brain processes information at slower speeds than normal. Memory of recent events becomes diminished but long-term memory is still intact. Cloudy consciousness can occur after mild to moderate head trauma and may persist for several months following the injury. Lethargy is defined as a decrease in alertness. This then results in impaired ability to perform tasks that normally aren’t difficult to perform.
Effects of Oxycontin Addiction
Oxycontin is a narcotic painkiller that is prescribed for people who have moderate to severe pain. This opioid works well when taken properly. However, as with any drug, Oxycontin also has effects. Oxycontin’s effects can be categorized as both short-term and long-term effects.
Some of Oxycontin’s effects are to be expected. These include lowered blood pressure, as well as lowered heart and respiratory rates too. Oxycontin also causes muscle relaxation. Some of Oxycontin’s effects are very negative though. These include: allergic reaction; difficulty with breathing caused by the throat closing, and the lips, tongue or face swelling; hives; skin that is cold and clammy; small pupils; seizures; and a loss of consciousness, which may result in a coma.
Short-term Oxycontin Effects
Drug Rehabilitation; The Key Component
Drug and alcohol use can be traced back to 4000 B.C., in Egypt. By the 19th century, active substances were being extracted from the raw materials, and these psychoactive substances were being sold without any regulations. By the early 1900s there were an estimated 250,000 drug addicts in the United States. The anti-war upheaval of the 1960s brought with it a dramatic increase in drug use and increased social acceptance. The 1980s saw a decline in most drug use, with a slight increase in Cocaine use. Despite this overall decline, most Americans still regard illegal drug use as one of the nation’s most serious problems. Opinion polls show the public favors a variety of different approaches to the drug problem. In addition to strict laws, it is vital to effectively treat individuals already suffering from drug dependence and substance abuse, through education, therapy, medicine, and group support. Drug rehabilitation is a key component to a successful campaign against the use of illegal drugs.
At its fundamental level, humans use substances such as alcohol and psychoactive drugs because these substances give the user a feeling of pleasure. Pleasure is a very powerful force. Our brains are wired in such a way that if you do something that gives you pleasure you will probably want to do it again. All drugs that are addicting can energize and enhance the brain’s pleasure circuit. Addiction is a chronic disease that affects ones brain, and ones behavior. Addicted individuals abuse drugs without regard to the consequences of health, relationships, money, work etc. It is a consuming disease that not only effects the individual directly, but others indirectly. If left untreated, this disease can lead to the social death, as well as the actual death of the inflicted individual. Proper management must be instituted immediately to return the individual to a life that is more manageable, and drug free. A program of drug rehabilitation best achieves this goal.
Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for substance abuse. The goal of any drug rehabilitation program is to provide comprehensive drug treatment and alcohol rehabilitation services, and introduce individuals to a new lifestyle free of chemicals. Successful treatment of substance abusers depends upon the severity and nature of the addiction, as well as motivation. Some treatment programs use medicines that neutralize the effects of the drug. Acupuncture has also been successful in treating the cravings that accompany drug withdrawal. Comprehensive substance abuse counseling and education is another component for a successful plan. Evaluating the efficacy of any treatment plan is difficult because of the chronic nature of drug abuse, and the fact that the disease is usually complicated by personal, social, and health factors.
