Drug and the body--it isn't pretty.Nicotine. Heroin. Cocaine. Marijuana. Inhalants inhalants, n.pl 1. chemical vapors that are inhaled for their mind-altering effects. 2. in herbology, volatile herbal compounds that are delivered by holding a soaked pad to the nose and mouth, by placing the herbs in steaming water, or . Methamphetamine. Steroids. They all cause damage. Check out this diagram to find out how each part of the body is affected by drugs of abuse. (Heads up real news about drugs and your body) BRAIN Honey, I Shrunk My Brain! Inhalants can actually shrink the part of the brain that controls body movements. Tired and Moody A chemical called serotonin helps you stay in a good mood and get enough sleep. Ecstasy messes with the serotonin in your brain. Bye-bye, Brain Cells! Methamphetamine use can damage a large number of X's main target brain cells in the limbic system limbic system n. A group of deep brain structures, common to all mammals and including the hippocampus, amygdala, gyrus fornicatus, and connecting structures, associated with olfaction, emotion, motivation, behavior, and various autonomic functions. (or emotional brain). Super Slow Messages speed from your brain to your muscles at more than 200 miles per hour. Inhalants can put the breaks on quick communication. The Next Step? A working short-term memory short-term memory n. Abbr. STM The phase of the memory process in which stimuli that have been recognized and registered are stored briefly. is required for learning and performing tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Marijuana can impair short-term memory. HEART Body Blocking Steroid use can lead to blocked blood flow to the heart or brain. The result: a stroke or a heart attack. Fit as a.. Even very fit athletes can have a heart attack if they abuse cocaine or methamphetamine. 'N Sync Inhalants can disrupt normal heart rhythms, which can cause a heart attack. LUNGS Sticky Black Tar Need we say more? It coats the lungs of tobacco and marijuana smokers. Poisoned When an abuser sniffs inhalants, the toxic gas can replace oxygen in the lungs. Without oxygen, the brian and body suffocate suf·fo·cate v. 1. To impair the respiration of; asphyxiate. 2. To suffer from lack of oxygen; to be unable to breathe. suf and die. LIVER Risky Rupture Steriod abuse has been associated with liver tumors and blood-filled cysts. Both the tumors and the cysts can rupture, causing internal bleeding. IMMUNE SYSTEM Sharing More Than Needles Drug abusers who share non-sterile injection equipment are at risk for contracting HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. , Heptatitis B and C, and other infectious diseases. NOSE No More Nostrils Snorting cocaine can create pimple-like abscesses that can turn into raw holes. The holes can eat away the cartilage that divides the nose. MOUTH LOOK Cigarette smoke discolors teeth. Smoking can also lead to gum disease and lost teeth. Tense Teeth Ecstasy use causes involuntary teeth clenching clenching (klen´ching), n the nonfunctional, forceful intermittent application of the mandibular teeth against the maxillary teeth. It can become habitual and cause damage to the periodontium. . Some users need to wear dental mouth guards. Others actually use pacifiers. A Case of the Blahs All drugs of abuse can make users lose the ability to feel normal happiness and pleasure. How About a Mint? Tar and nicotine build up on the teeth and tongue, leading to bad breath. SKIN Pizza Face Steroids can cause acne pimples to pop up all over the face of a user. BONES Forget About the NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= Steroid use can keep bones from growing. Abusers may never reach their full, adult height. Down in My Bones Inhalants damage the marrow inside of bones. KIDNEYS Boiling Over Ecstasy users risk kidney failure when their body temperature soars and they become dehydrated de·hy·drate v. de·hy·drat·ed, de·hy·drat·ing, de·hy·drates v.tr. 1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. To preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). . RELATED ARTICLE: Reading/Science Q & A -- Part One. Why?. . . How?. . . Left with questions after looking at our poster? Check out Part One of our Q & A on the brain, heart, lungs, and liver below. Then, check out Part Two on p. 6. BRAIN Q: Why does it matter if the brain shrinks? A: The effects of brain atrophy (shrinkage) may include difficulties with learning, thinking, remembering, and coordination. Q: Which brain cells does methamphetamine attack? A: Methamphetamine use damages brain cells that contain the chemicals dopamine dopamine (dōp`əmēn), one of the intermediate substances in the biosynthesis of epinephrine and norepinephrine. See catecholamine. dopamine One of the catecholamines, widely distributed in the central nervous system. and serotonin. Over time, the drug causes reduced levels of dopamine, which can result in symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease, a severe movement disorder. Q: How does marijuana affect memory? A: THC THC tetrahydrocannabinol. THC n. Tetrahydrocannabinol; a compound that is obtained from cannabis or is made synthetically; it is the primary intoxicant in marijuana and hashish. , the active ingredient in marijuana, deadens the neurons in the hippocampus hippocampus fabulous marine creature; half fish, half horse. [Rom. Myth. and Art: Hall, 154] See : Monsters , the part of the brain that's in charge of short-term memory. HEART Q: How does cocaine use cause heart attacks? A: Cocaine makes blood vessels narrow and tight, which can cut off blood flow to the heart. Q: Why do inhalants disrupt heart rhythms? A: The chemicals in inhalants work on the part of the brain that controls the heart beat. When a heart attack and death results, it's called Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome (SSDS SSDS SQL Server Data Services SSDS Ship Self Defense System SSDS Space Science Data System (NASA) SSDS Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome SSDS Secure Software Distribution System SSDS Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale ). SSDS can occur even in first-time sniffers. LUNGS Q: What happens to lungs coated with sticky black tar? A: The tar clogs the air sacs, blocking the flow of oxygen. The tar and other chemicals in smoke can also damage healthy lung cells, so that tumors can grow. The result: lung cancer or emphysema emphysema (ĕmfĭsē`mə), pathological or physiological enlargement or overdistention of the air sacs of the lungs. A major cause of pulmonary insufficiency in chronic cigarette smokers, emphysema is a progressive disease that commonly . LIVER Q: What are other dangers to the livers of steroid users? A: Steroid use can lead to liver cancer. Reading/Science Q & A--Part Two Here's the other half of the story. Your questions on the mouth, skin, bones, and kidneys are answered here. MOUTH Q: How does ecstasy cause teeth clenching? A: Ecstasy works on the part of the brain that sends messages to muscles. It can cause muscle spasms, including spasms of the muscles of the jaw. Q: Why do drugs cause the blahs? A: When something makes you feel good, your brain produces dopamine, a chemical which turns on the pleasure circuit in your brain. But all the drugs of abuse pump so much dopamine into the brain that receptors shut down. SKIN Q: Why do steroids cause zits? A: Steroids cause the balance of hormones in the body to be disrupted. This can lead to skin problems including acne and oily skin. BONES Q: How do steroids stunt your growth? A: Steroids create high levels of hormones that wouldn't naturally occur until early adulthood. The hormone glut signals bones to stop growing, so that young steroid abusers never reach their full, adult height. Q: Why does marrow matter? A: Inhalants damage the marrow inside or bones, which manufactures the red blood cells Red blood cells Cells that carry hemoglobin (the molecule that transports oxygen) and help remove wastes from tissues throughout the body. Mentioned in: Bone Marrow Transplantation red blood cells that carry oxygen to muscles and organs, including the brain. KIDNEY Q: How does ecstasy cause body temperature to soar? A: Ecstasy acts on the hypothalamus hypothalamus (hī'pəthăl`əməs), an important supervisory center in the brain, rich in ganglia, nerve fibers, and synaptic connections. It is composed of several sections called nuclei, each of which controls a specific function. part of the brain. There it ramps up heart rate and blood pressure and disrupts the brain's ability to regulate body temperature. This can lead to a potentially fatal heat reaction called hyperthermia hyperthermia /hy·per·ther·mia/ (-ther´me-ah) hyperpyrexia; greatly increased body temperature.hyperther´malhyperther´mic malignant hyperthermia , which can lead to kidney failure and death. |
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