Posted under Drugs

IV Drug Abuse and False Aneurysm

A false aneurysm, also known as a pseudoaneurysm, is a medical condition that occurs when blood leaks from an artery and forms a pool in the adjoining tissue. If misdiagnosed or left untreated, this condition can lead to serious, potentially fatal complications that include uncontrolled internal bleeding and uncontrolled external bleeding. IV drug use/abuse is a relatively uncommon but established risk for the onset of a false aneurysm. Typically, this condition appears in people who attempt to inject drugs into deep veins and mistakenly puncture a nearby artery. Continue Reading

Posted under Methamphetamines

Methamphetamine Use and Vasculitis

Vasculitis is the general medical term for inflammation inside the body’s blood vessels. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies the blood vessels as a source of danger and attacks them. Vasculitis can appear almost anywhere in the body, and produces levels of damage that range in severity from minor and/or temporary to chronic and/or life-threatening. Use of the street drug methamphetamine can produce changes in blood vessel health that lead to the onset of vasculitis. In turn, meth users with vasculitis have increased risks for dying from severe health problems such as a stroke or an artery condition called aortic dissection. Continue Reading

Posted under Stimulants

Drug Abuse and Talcosis

Talcosis is a term that doctors use to describe the abnormal presence of the mineral talc in the bloodstream. Once inside the bloodstream, particles of this mineral can lodge themselves in relatively small blood vessels in the body and lead to the onset of serious medical conditions that include pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysema. Talcosis is a significant health risk in IV (intravenous) drug abusers who use cocaine or methamphetamine, or crush and inject certain prescription pills. People who nasally inhale cocaine or methamphetamine also have clear talcosis-related risks. Continue Reading

Posted under Drugs

IV Drug Abuse and Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the medical term for blood clots that form in veins deep within the body’s tissues. While these clots can form in any deep vein, they most typically appear in deep veins in the thighs or lower legs. When clots associated with DVT break loose and travel in the bloodstream, they can lodge in the lungs and trigger a potentially deadly lung obstruction called a pulmonary embolism. IV drug abusers have elevated risks for the development of deep vein thrombosis, as well as a related condition called thrombophlebitis. In addition to formation of a pulmonary embolism, DVT in an IV drug abuser can lead to a highly dangerous blood-borne infection called septic thrombosis. Continue Reading

Posted under Alcohol

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

The terms alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and alcoholism are often used to describe anyone who has a drinking problem. Clinically speaking, however, there are some important differences. These differences play out in the lives of those struggling with drink and the people around them. Abuse may not be as bad as dependence, but it is one step on the path to a very serious problem. By understanding these conditions, you can learn to recognize early signs of addiction in yourself or in someone you love and get help before it is too late. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

The Abuse of “Smart Drugs” Concerning Medical Experts Nationwide

In a world where we judge it unfair to use performance enhancing drugs in the world of athletics should it be okay to use performance enhancing substances in academia? That is the question being faced by ethicists and medical experts today. If a pill could help students to study, remember and think clearly, would it be fair to use it? Continue Reading

Posted under Heroin

Methadone: Number One Killer

A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that almost one-third of prescription painkiller overdoses leading to death were from methadone. This inexpensive, generic painkiller is mostly known as a heroin substitute used in addiction treatment. In the last decade, however, the number of prescriptions written for methadone to treat pain has risen significantly. Around four million prescriptions for methadone are written every year, and 5,000 people overdose on it annually. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Heroin Filling Gap Left by OxyContin After Anti-Abuse Measures Introduced

As authorities crack down in the war against prescription drugs, an unforeseen consequence has begun to emerge. Because it has become more difficult to obtain OxyContin and other prescription narcotics, addicts are simply going back to something tried and true – substituting illicit drugs instead.

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Posted under Stimulants

Caffeine Intoxication

Americans love coffee. Along with tea, it is the most popular non-alcoholic beverage here. While there have always been some who have abused it, the relatively recent onslaught of caffeine-laden energy drinks has brought the problem of caffeine abuse, intoxication and addiction to the forefront. Last year there were nearly 5,000 calls made to poison control centers related to caffeine consumption, over 2,000 of those calls led to treatment at some sort of health provider and 2,600 caffeine patients were younger than 19 years old. Continue Reading

Posted under Alcohol

Drinking Even Small Amounts of Alcohol Increases Risk for Breast Cancer

Women who drink just one glass of alcohol a day increase their chance of getting breast cancer by five percent, according to a new study from Germany. Three glasses a day increases their risk by 50%. Continue Reading