Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse

March 13, 2015

Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse: Prevention Treatment and Home Remedies

Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse as a means of eliminating drug abuse

If we have to defeat drug use and abuse from our societies then we must chose to change the game. It must not be business as usual for both the victims and the affected. Drug abuse is decaying the moral fabric of our societies and we must all say yes to the principal of adopting the right mechanisms for cocaine abuse and other drugs. Doctor Akoury is championing for the prevention approach. She says that it is always easy to prevent than to let it happen then start treatment. In line of this fact, ideally prevention of drug abuse whether it is cocaine or any other should start early just when one is planning to get pregnant. A lot of damage is done when the baby is still in the womb that manifests itself as they grow into preadolescent years. If we can achieve this then we will be left with handling the growing preadolescent year’s cases for all children and more so for those who are at risk. When defining those at risk it would mean the inclusion of children born in families with a history of any addiction such as alcoholism and drug use. We can also further simplify the concept by teaching children to say NO to use of tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs. This may look simple but achieving it may not nonetheless if it is done then it is an excellent prevention tool. If we can keep the children and our mothers planning to give us future generations from the gateway drugs of nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana, then we may be able to prevent the escalation to harder drugs such as cocaine and therefore protect people from the long-term effects of drug use.

Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse: Diagnosis of Cocaine Abuse

Often, the final diagnosis of someone who is abusing cocaine is not made by emergency department evaluation and may require admission to the hospital, further testing, and results of tests, which take time or are not done in a hospital emergency department.

Overall, the doctor will conduct whatever tests are necessary to evaluate the symptoms of someone with cocaine-induced conditions. In addition to a physical exam and medical history, tests may include blood and urine analysis, chest X-ray, CT scans, MRI scans, and spinal tap.

Cocaine-induced headaches can include such conditions as tension headache, stroke (bleed in head), sinusitis, meningitis, or brain abscess.
Cocaine-induced seizures might indicate more serious problems such as bleeding in the brain, meningitis, very high blood pressure with organ injury, or low blood pressure, respiratory failure, and heart problems. Infants may experience seizures caused by parents’ smoking cocaine in their presence. It is important to note that this is a form of child abuse and should immediately be reported to local child-welfare services.
Psychiatric complications caused by cocaine abuse may include cocainomania, anxiety, hallucinations, paranoia, psychoses, violence, major depression, suicidal or homicidal tendencies, or attempted suicide or homicide.
Nasal and throat complications of cocaine abuse can include diagnoses of nasal itching, postnasal drip, nosebleed, sinusitis, laryngitis, and perforated nasal septum.
Pulmonary diagnoses may include pneumonia, bronchitis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema), asthma or reactive airway disease, or a collapsed lung.
Cardiovascular complications include heart problems such as chest pain, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms, and various heart conditions that can lead to sudden death.
Pregnancy complications may include vaginal bleeding, threatened abortion, incomplete abortion, spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage. Ultrasound may be used to establish the diagnosis in these cases.
Infectious complications may include cellulitis, shooter’s abscess, lung abscess, brain abscess, septic shock, hepatitis, and any of the opportunistic infections associated with AIDS if you are HIV infected. Poor decision making associated with cocaine abuse also increases the risk of infection with other sexually transmitted diseases.
Body packers and stuffers may have various diagnoses depending on whether the packets leak or remain intact. If they leak, the diagnoses may be massive cocaine intoxication with seizures, high temperatures, hypertension, muscle breakdown, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms, kidney failure, and death. If the abuser has no symptoms with normal vital signs and refuses medical care, invasive procedures may not be done until proper legal documentation has been provided.

Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse: Treatment and Home Remedies

First and foremost, the cocaine abuser must stop using the drug and other drugs that accompany its use. Not many complications of cocaine use can be treated at home. The most common complications are psychiatric in nature.

Anxiety, mild agitation, loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability, mild panic attacks, mild depression, and mild headaches could probably be treated at home by quitting use of the drug and observing the user.
Runny noses, nasal congestion, and brief nosebleeds can also be cared for at home by stopping the drug, increasing the humidity of the air breathed in with vaporizers and humidifiers, and direct nasal pressure for 10 minutes to stop the nosebleed. Apply a topical antibiotic such as bacitracin or petroleum jelly to help with the drying and crusting. Avoid nose picking.
The chronic cough or coughing up of black non-bloody phlegm can be treated again by cessation of cocaine smoking and other drugs such as tobacco or marijuana. Over-the-counter cough medicines containing the ingredient guaifenesin, the active compound in Robitussin, plus increased water drinking may help.
IV drug users who continue to use cocaine may lower their exposure to communicable diseases and infection by not reusing or sharing needles. Cleansing the skin properly prior to the injection also decreases the risk of infection.

Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse: Follow-up

It is important that strict adherence of a follow-up program should be observed without any amendments as was presented on discharge from the hospital. When one is addicted to drugs the whole family suffers therefore treatment options should be tailored to meet the individual’s family needs. The extended relatives should also be included in the treatment plan where is possible. This may consist of follow-ups with a drug counselor for therapy, as well as treatment by a psychiatrist, family doctor, internist, infectious-disease specialist, obstetrician, general surgeon or heart surgeon. Finally dear reader, the principal of adopting the right mechanisms for cocaine abuse should be seen as a stepping stone to lasting solutions. This is very important because since there is little medication treatment for cocaine addiction, rehabilitation becomes one of the best options you have. This can be professionally done at the home of solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care) when you visit us at this facility we will focus on developing a good working relationship with you (cocaine addict) to professionally address the underlying strengths and helping you develop strategies for recovery which will include abstaining from drug use and reducing their cravings. Up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury, your situation will be evaluated and in confidence offer the best treatment recovery approach.

Adopting the Right Mechanisms for Cocaine Abuse: Prevention Treatment and Home Remedies

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine

March 13, 2015

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine: The consequences of Cocaine Abuse

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine. Having this drug around you all the time can be one of the reasons why you cant quite

We all know that drug abuse is not healthy for any one’s life. Any drug abused has with it great consequences. It may not matter the intensity of the drug used, the common denominator is that there are real consequences. Again it may not matter the different methods of their usage or why they are used because it does not change the consequences. A lot has been said about drug abuse and ideally good coverage has been done to create awareness of the seriousness of these drugs. Cocaine is one of the many abused drugs today and it has caught our attention. And for that reason having talked to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, we want to interrogate some of the methods and reasons why people abuse cocaine and drugs generally. In the meantime, as we get into the discussion, if you are struggling with drug addiction (not just cocaine) help is very close near you if only you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for professional direction today. Now back to the discussion, we are going to be looking at cocaine abuse in relation to the US even though this is not just a problem affecting the US alone but it is a global problem.

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine: Methods of abuse

This drug cocaine often come in the powdered hydrochloride salt form and it can be used in various ways including injection, mixed with liquor, swallowed, or applied to oral, vaginal, or even rectal mucous membranes. It is commonly snorted or sniffing as many would prefer. When snorted, the usual procedure is placing a thin line of coke say of about 0.3 cm wide by 2.5 cm long, on an uneven surface. The finely divided powder is then snorted (inhaled quickly) into a nostril through a cylindrical plastic tube or glass straw or a rolled currency bill. The procedure is then repeated within a few minutes using the other nostril. And besides these tools of snorting if you allow me, there are also other special spoons and paraphernalia available for snorting cocaine.

It must be noted that cocaine use is generally not taken orally by mouth for recreational purposes. Because the drug is illegal, people have done much wired things when smuggling the drug for sale. As a result of these toxic reactions, including death, have occurred in some people who swallowed the drug to avoid police detection or border authorities. It may sound funny but this is how far people can go to ensure that the drug is available for market. Therefore this means of transport or packaging in a smuggling attempt is known as body packing. This crystalline white powder (cocaine) can also dissolve easily in water and used intravenously (“slammed”). Under this form, it has a high melting point and therefore cannot be smoked. Nonetheless this is the most widely used form of the drug.

Freebasing involves the conversion of cocaine hydrochloride into cocaine sulfate that is “free” of the additives and nearly 100% pure. It does not dissolve in water easily and has a low melting point and therefore smoking it would be the better option for usage. Those using this runs the risk of being burned by the conversion process because of a highly volatile solvent, such as ether, is being used.

Crack is extracted from powder cocaine using baking soda and heat which is relatively safe method compared with the ether technique. The waxy base becomes rocks of cocaine, ready to be sold in vials. This rock cocaine is also easy to smoke, the most common form of use in the streets. Cocaine sulfate is also available as coca paste known as basuco, bazooka, piticin, pistol, pitillos, or tocos and is widely smoked in South America. Users of this drug prefers it because it is resistant to destruction by heat meaning that it can be either be smoked in cigarettes, including marijuana cigarettes, or in coke pipes. Remember that smoking the freebase produces a more powerful effect and quite swiftly, however it must be noted that it can also be more dangerous primarily because what is called the safe dose can easily be exceeded.

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine: Why is cocaine very addictive?

It has been established by different researcher that when cocaine is involved, all laboratory animals can become compulsive cocaine consumers. Animals will work more persistently at pressing a bar for cocaine than for any drug, including opiates. In one of the studies an addicted monkey pressed the bar nearly 12,800 times just to get a single dose of cocaine. This therefore communicates that if the animal survives, then it will definitely make a return to the task of obtaining more cocaine. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center agree that just like the animals reaction so is the human response being similar to that of the laboratory animal. The cocaine dependent human beings will prefer it to all other activities and will use the drug until the user or the supply is exhausted. The consequence of this is that such people will show behavior entirely different from their previous lifestyle.

Cocaine-driven humans will compel themselves to perform unusual acts compared with their former standards of conduct. This is a very sad example but all the same it can happen. A cocaine user may sell his/her child just to get more cocaine. There are many stories of professionals, such as lawyers, physicians, bankers, and athletes, with daily habits costing hundreds to thousands of dollars, with binges in the range of thousands of dollars. Cocaine doesn’t have any respect for your status or office it can destroy you resulting in loss of job and profession, loss of family, friends and housing, bankruptcy, committing crimes, and death.

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine: Effects

The method of use dictates the onset of activity and duration of its effects as follows:

If snorted for example, the effects will peak within 30 minutes with its duration of effect lasting one to three hours.
If swallowed with alcohol, effects peak in 30 minutes and last about three hours.
If used intravenously or inhaled/smoked, the effects peak in seconds to two minutes but last only 15-30 minutes.
The breakdown products of the drug will be excreted and can be detected in the urine for 24-72 hours and for chronic users, it can be detected for up to two weeks.

Finally this drug is not any you can play around with. You and I we have a duty to save the situation where we can. Therefore let us pool together and do the noble thing by calling the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for professional solutions today without any further delays.

Methods and Reasons Why People Abuse Cocaine: The consequences of Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon

March 13, 2015

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: Important Facts about Cocaine

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon and it use is causing more harm to life. Snorting cocaine is one of the most commonly used method

It is true that cocaine is currently one of the most abused major stimulant drugs not just in America but across the globe. Surprisingly it has recently become the drug most frequently involved in emergency department visits. Cocaine may not be newly abused drug but all the same it is often considered the “caviar” of recreational drugs. Nonetheless this difference is reflected in its descriptions. The cocaine abuse is an endless phenomenon and has been given called the champagne of drugs, gold dust, Cadillac of drugs, status stimulant, yuppie drug, and others. Besides those nouns it also has other street names which are used depending on its appearance or method of use. Such street names may include flake, snow, toot, blow, nose candy, her, she, lady flake, liquid lady “a mixture of cocaine and alcohol”, speedball [cocaine and heroin], crack, rock. In all these names cocaine is commonly known as coke. The name is actually not very important for us says doctor Akoury. Our interest is not in the name because the name alone doesn’t affect life. Whether you nick name it what the impact on its usage is the same and that is our point of concern. That is why we have the choice topic of cocaine abuse is an endless phenomenon.

Even though this is a global problem, we want to zero it down to US for the purpose of this article. The available statistics regarding the use of cocaine in the US is worrying. It is estimated that by 2012 children as young as 12 years representing the younger lot and moving to adulthood had used cocaine. That translates to about 1.7 minion people. And in that same time it is estimated that up to 1.1 million people had suffered from cocaine abuse or dependence. The other important facts about cocaine use include the drop in cocaine use is that men tend to be the biggest users of the drug more often than women. And in fact adults of between 18-25 years of age are by far the highest rate of cocaine use.

Even as we venture into this discussion of cocaine abuse is an endless phenomenon, myths about the drug will always be there and one common myth is that cocaine is not addictive because it lacks the physical withdrawal symptoms seen in alcohol or heroin addiction. In paper that may sound factual, however cocaine does have influential psychological addictive properties. This has been demonstrated by more than one user in the past and in quotes, “if it is not addictive, then why can’t I stop?” That is actually the common statement given by all users of cocaine further confirming the addictive power in this drug. Like for instance, currently the tendency in drug abuse in the United States is currently numerous or poly-drug abuse, and cocaine is not immune either. It is often used with alcohol, sedatives such as diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), or heroin, as an upper/downer combination. Normally in instances like this the other drug is used to moderate the side effects of the primary addiction.

If I may ask why do we say that cocaine abuse an endless phenomenon? The answer to that is in the pattern in which this drug is being used. It appears that at every stage of life there is a group of users who graduate to the next stages and the vicious cycle continues. For example, while college students tend to abuse alcohol more than teens the same age who do not go on to college, non-college students seem to abuse cocaine, as well as marijuana and tobacco, more than their peers who attend college. A common poly-drug abuse problem, seen especially in adolescents, is cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana. If nothing is done then this generation of cocaine, alcohol and marijuana will graduate to collage with this baggage on their shoulders then to adulthood and finally old age. In dealing with this problem, it is important that we appreciate that drug-use disorders spare no one and it cuts across all societies. It has no respect for gender, age, profession, race, religion, or physical attributes.

Cocaine Abuse an endless Phenomenon: History

The ultimate objective of this article is to understand the effects of cocaine abuse and dopamine deficiency syndrome. But before we get there, let us get an overview of the history of this drug. Cocaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid usually extracted from the leaves of the coca shrub, which was originally found in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia. With its appreciation as a lucrative cash crop, it is now cultivated in Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the West Indies, Ecuador, and Java. Coca leaves were mixed with lime and chewed by the Peruvian Indians as early as the sixth century to allay the effects of cold, hunger, and fatigue. It is still used as such as a gift from the Sun God. In this sense, coca is an important sociocultural tradition for Peruvian and Bolivian Indians and should not be confused with the cocaine snorting, smoking, and injecting of the Western abuser. Coca was later introduced to Europe, where the alkaloid cocaine was isolated. Its medicinal effects on depression, alcohol and morphine addiction, fatigue, and as a local anesthetic were discovered. However, these discoveries were not without cost to those who experimented with it. The result was addiction and dependency on the drug.

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: A brain tonic

Interestingly around 1886, an elixir containing cocaine from the coca leaf and caffeine from the African kola nut was introduced in Atlanta. It was traded as a brain tonic recommended as a medication for headaches, alcoholism, morphine addiction, abdominal pain, and menstrual cramps. This elixir, appropriately named Coca-Cola, rapidly became one of the most popular elixirs in the country. However because of the adverse effects of cocaine, appreciated even then, the Coca-Cola Company decided to use a de cocainized coca leaves in 1903. At this time cocaine was under strict control in the United States in 1914 with the Harrison Narcotic Act. It was finally listed as a narcotic and dangerous. Though its use is dangerous, it is not a narcotic, but its use is subject to the same penalties as those for opium, morphine, and heroin.

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: Limited medical use

Cocaine has little medical use. Because of its anesthetic effect, it was used for eye surgery. But because of its profound ability to vasoconstriction blood vessels (that is, make veins and arteries narrow, thus stopping bleeding), it can lead to scarring and delayed healing of the cornea. Medications that are chemically similar to cocaine are available for use in the nose for surgery, stopping nosebleeds, and as a local anesthetic for cuts in children. We are going to continue with is discussion looking at how and why people abuse cocaine both in the past and present but in the meantime if you have any concern about cocaine abuse, you can schedule for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and doctor Dalal Akoury will be of great help to you.

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: Important Facts about Cocaine

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief

March 12, 2015

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief: Addressing Pain professionally

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief is gaining popularity in most societies. This together with good nutrition is a good combination for pain relief

Even though we have scientific medications with us as the supreme agreeable medication globally, it is becoming increasingly evident that herbs are also very effective in certain healing process and especially in the line of quenching pain. Professionals are researching keenly to come up with scientific evidence to support this increasingly treatment option. However as we speak now all we have are still not very conclusive and therefore they remain as hypothesis. Now guided by the effectiveness of some of this medication we want to discuss to understand the benefits of herbal medications for natural pain relief and especially when it comes to chronic illness line cancer. To help us get this clearly, we are going to be talking to doctor Dalal Akoury and borrow heavily from her over two decades of medical practice in different discipline. Therefore as we continue into the discussion, I will encourage you to schedule for an appointment with her for further clarification and treatment where is applicable. In the meantime, let us try to understand the benefits of alternative natural medications for pain relief in general.

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief: Alternative natural medication for Pain relief

If you are the kind of person who is not comfortable using the scientific medications, then this is your segment. Just for the records, scientific medication is the ones which are medically approved for treatment the world over. But like I have said the herbal medications are increasingly becoming popular in pain relief and that is what we want to find out. The implication of this statement is that pharmaceutical drugs or medication may actually not be your only path to pain relief. Natural pain treatments like herbal medicine where herbs are used medicinally to treat health problems is on the increase and popular for the purpose of pain management.

And whereas research on herbal remedies is still in its premature phases where ordinarily little can be said about them, it is becoming increasingly realistic that many herbs are used to provide pain management and reduction of inflammation. Yes this is true however it is very important that when moving in this direction then you need to exercise caution. And consult heavily with the experts before you rest on any given product. The reason why caution is important is because both herbals which are medicinal and those which may not, when used may have the potential to herm through some unwanted side effects like allergic reactions and undesirable interactions with other substances and medicines. That is why doctor Akoury and other experts are in agreement that relative safety must be carefully balanced against likely effectiveness.

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief: Popular Herbal Options

The popularity of alternative medications is on the increase and the following are some of the common herbal remedies used for natural pain relief in most health complications including cancer and other chronic diseases:

Capsaicin – Coming from hot chili peppers, topical capsaicin may be useful for some people in relieving pain. They are working by depleting substance P, a compound that conveys the pain sensation from the peripheral to the central nervous system. When it happens, it is likely take a couple of days for it to notice.

Ginger – Even though a lot more needs to be done for its effective ness verification Dr. Akoury says that ginger extract may help with joint and muscle pain owing to the fact that it is rich in phytochemicals, which helps stopping inflammation. And like in all drugs some few side effects have been linked to ginger when taken in small doses.

Feverfew – This is one herb which has been used for centuries to treat headaches, stomachaches, and toothaches. Nowadays it’s also used for migraines and rheumatoid arthritis. However more studies are required to confirm whether feverfew is actually effective, but the herb may be worth trying since it hasn’t been associated with serious side effects. Mild side effects may include canker sores and irritation of the tongue and lips. It is however advisable those pregnant women contemplating using it should avoid this remedy.

Turmeric – This spice has been used to relieve arthritis pain and heartburn, and to reduce inflammation. It’s unclear how turmeric works against pain or inflammation, but its activity may be due to a chemical called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is usually safe to use, but high doses or long-term use may cause indigestion. Also, people with gallbladder disease should avoid using turmeric.

Devil’s Claw – There is some scientific evidence that this herb that originates from South African may be effective in managing arthritis and lower back pain, but more research is needed. Side effects are very rare if taken at a therapeutic dose for the short term, but it’s not advisable for pregnant women and those with gallstones or stomach or intestinal ulcers.

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief: Proceed With Caution

There are many other herbal remedies for natural pain relief, such as boswellia and willow bark. The American Pain Foundation also lists these herbs for pain management on various diseases:

Ginseng for fibromyalgia
Kava Kava for tension headaches and neuropathic pain
St. John’s Wort for sciatica, arthritis, and neuropathic pain
Valerian root for spasms and muscle cramps

In conclusion dear reader, herbal medications are increasing becoming popular. However since herbal therapies for pain management is yet to be thoroughly studied, extra caution must be taken for those people who may want to seek for treatment in this direction. This is very important to note that irrespective of the herb you try, remember that they’re not benign. Research into their safety and efficacy is still limited and because of that most governments or authorities does not regulate herbal products for quality. What does that communicate to you? It means that the best approach is to talk to a health-care professional before testing out herbal remedies. Finally having been in the medical practice for over two decades, doctor Akoury would be one of the best professionals you can reach out to for professional assistance. Remember that doctor Akoury founded a medical facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each people’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering them to finding their own inner healing power. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. I encourage you to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for further direction on all your concerns.

Herbal Medications for Natural Pain Relief: Addressing Pain professionally

What are the functions of COX Enzyme inhibitors

March 4, 2015

What are the functions of COX Enzyme inhibitors: Inflammation Complications?

What are the functions of COX Enzyme inhibitors

Before we get down to business, I want to bring to your attention that this article may be loaded with some strong medical terms. For this reason we are going to be relying on the expertise of doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for clarification when it becomes necessary. I want therefore to take this earliest opportunity to advice that you can schedule for an appointment with the experts and you will be home and dry with the facts about what are the function of COX enzyme inhibitors. Therefore to start us off let us try understanding what COX-2 selective inhibitor is. This is a form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that directly targets COX-2 which is an enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain. The benefits of this selective targeting for COX-2 is that it helps in reduce the risk of peptic ulceration. Nevertheless it must be noted that besides these functions, the following are the main features of celecoxib, rofecoxib and other members of this drug class.

Just to make further emphasis on this medication, COX-2 inhibitors are a subclass of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs primarily work by reducing the production of prostaglandins, chemicals which promote inflammation, pain, and fever. Besides that the prostaglandins are also good at protecting the lining of the stomach and intestines from the damaging effects of excreted acid, promote blood clotting by activating platelets during injuries and also affect kidney function.

In our quest towards understanding what are the functions of COX enzyme inhibitors it would be very important that we get to know that the enzymes that produce prostaglandins are called cyclooxygenase (COX) and that has been the center of our discussion. There are two types of COX enzymes and they may include:

Cyclooxygenase – 1 (COX-1) and
Cyclooxygenase – 2 (COX-2)

Like we have said in the introduction both of these enzymes produce prostaglandins that promote inflammation, pain, and fever; however, it is only COX-1that produces prostaglandins which activate the blood platelets and protect the stomach and intestinal lining.

Doctor Dalal Akoury explains that NSAIDs blocks or obstructs the COX enzymes thereby reducing the normal production of prostaglandins. Therefore, the result of this action is that the inflammation, pain, and fever are reduced by all COX inhibitors. Since the prostaglandins that protect the stomach and promote blood clotting also are reduced, NSAIDs can cause ulcers in the stomach and intestines, and increase the risk of bleeding. Unlike older NSAIDs that block both COX-1 and COX-2, the newer COX-2 inhibitors only block the COX-2 enzyme. Since COX-2 inhibitors do not block COX-1 (which primarily produces prostaglandins that protect the stomach and promote blood clotting) they do not cause ulcers or increase the risk of bleeding as much as the older NSAIDs. Nevertheless, COX-2 inhibitors are as effective as the older NSAIDs for treating inflammation, pain and fever.

What are the functions of COX inhibitors: What are the side effects of COX-2 inhibitors?

Before we conclude this discussion, it will not be fear if we don’t highlight some of the possible demerits or the side effects of COX-E inhibitors. Such may include the following:

Abdominal pain,
Headache,
Nausea,
Diarrhea,
Flatulence, and
Insomnia

The above mentions are some of the most common side effects however, there are other side effects thought not very common and they include:

Fainting,
Kidney failure,
Aggravation of hypertension,
Ringing in the ears,
Bleeding,
Blurred vision,
Anxiety,
Light sensitivity,
Weight gain,
Water retention,
Drowsiness, and
Weakness.

For those who are allergic to various reactions, this is very important because with this kind of medication allergic reactions also can occur. Therefore if this describes your situation and you are one who can develops allergic reactions like rash, itching, difficulty breathing etc. from sulfonamides for example, trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole Bactrim, aspirin or other NSAIDs may experience an allergic reaction to celecoxib and should not take celecoxib.

COX-2 inhibitors and other NSAIDs may increase the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and related conditions, which can be fatal. This risk may increase with duration of use and in patients who have underlying risk factors for disease of the heart and blood vessels. NSAIDs should not be used for the treatment of pain resulting from coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Other NSAIDs and, to a lesser extent, COX-2 inhibitors may increase the risk of serious and sometimes even fatal stomach and intestinal adverse reactions such as bleeding, ulcers, and perforation of the stomach or intestines. These events can occur at any time during treatment and without warning symptoms. Point to note is that the senior citizens or the elderly patients are at greater risk for these types of reactions.

What are the functions of COX inhibitors: The basic difference between traditional NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors?

COX-1 is an enzyme which is normally present in a variety of tissues in the body, including sites of inflammation and the stomach.
Some of the prostaglandins made by COX-1 protect the inner lining of the stomach.
Common NSAIDs such as aspirin block both COX-1 and COX-2.
When the COX-1 enzyme is blocked, inflammation is reduced, but the protection of the lining of the stomach also is lost.
This can cause stomach upset as well as ulceration and bleeding from the stomach and even the intestines.

On the other hand cyclooxygenase, COX-2, also produces prostaglandins, but the COX-2 enzyme is located specifically in areas of the body that commonly are involved in inflammation but not in the stomach.

When the COX-2 enzyme is blocked, inflammation is reduced; however, since the COX-2 enzyme does not play a role in protecting the stomach or intestine, COX-2 specific NSAIDs do not have the same risk of injuring the stomach or intestines.

Finally I mentioned in the introduction of the possible use of very strong medical terms which may not be very easy to understand. Now having read the article, it is our wish that you are able to make correct translation of the information we are passing to you. Therefore if you have any concern, something you need further clarity on, the doors of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are open for you at your convenience. You can schedule for that very important appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for more professional guidance today.

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