Archive for July, 2011
Why Older Adults Should Limit Their Drinking Habits
Posted on July 28, 2011 | Drug Abuse.
Alcohol abuse is a severe problem not only among teens, but also among older adults. With many health problems arising at this age, the effects of alcohol abuse further add up to the problems in the older adults. Alcohol abuse at this age can develop health problems and chronic diseases. Older adults’ body cannot withstand the severe effects of alcohol abuse. Hence older adults should limit their drinking habits.
Older adults should limit their drinking
Many studies today suggest that older adults should limit their drinking habits. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recently recommended that limits of drinking alcohol for older people should be drastically cut down. They suggested that the upper ‘safe drinking limits’ for the people aged 65 and above should be reduced from 3 units to 1.5 units of alcohol per day.
According to American Medical Association (AMA), 3 million Americans aged above 60 years are alcoholics and the alcohol related hospitalizations among the elderly are as common as heart attacks.
Physical effects
Alcohol has many harmful effects on the physiology of the body. The major physical effects of alcohol abuse are:
- Increases the risk of various types of cancers like liver, pancreas, breast and mouth
- Raises the risk of heart strokes by increasing the blood pressure and blood lipids
- Causes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis
- Increases the risk of kidney failure by enlarging the kidneys and altering the hormone functions
- Heavy drinking can result in weak bones (osteoporosis), diabetes, high blood pressure and ulcers
- It may also lead to immune system disorders and brain damage
Mental effects
Psychiatric disorders of alcohol abuse are common in older people. Older people are at increased risk for cognitive and functional impairment due to alcohol abuse compared to younger adults.
In many of the cases, older people do not know that they are facing a mental disorder due to alcohol consumption. Let us have a look on how alcohol affects the mental state of an adult.
- The responsiveness of the brain in alcoholics differs from the normal people and hence excessive intake produces a rapid depressant effect, resulting in impaired body-mind co-ordination and memory loss
- Alcohol taken in conjunction with the prescribed medication can cause adverse side effects and worsens the depression
- Causes anxiety and insomnia
- Alcohol also heightens emotions leading to moodiness, irritability or even violence
All the above facts clearly indicate that older adults should limit their drinking habits. They may find it difficult to get rid of their drinking habits in this stage of life, but keeping in view the severity of ill effects, these habits should be withdrawn. Fortunately, alcoholism is treatable and the elderly have the highest rates of success in treatment.
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One Treatment for Narcotic Addiction
Posted on July 23, 2011 | Drug Abuse.
Here are some things you need to know about buprenorphine cost and buprenorphine addiction. Buprenorphine, also sometimes referred to as Suboxone, is a drug that is used for the treatment of opioid dependence. It is also used in the treatment of pain. When administered as a transdermal patch it is stuck on to the skin. It can be applied on eight areas of the body- the upper outer arm, upper chest and the side of the chest on either side. When a patient is on Buprenorphine medication, he or she usually has to rotate the site of application, so that no single site is targeted twice consecutively. Buprenorphine can also be supplied as an oral or injectable narcotic.
Buprenorphine cost:
The Buprenorphine cost depends on the type of administration and is usually under $5 for a dose. In some cases the Buprenorphine cost may be $10 per dose. The Buprenorphine cost is also determined by the manufacturer of the drug, the medical insurance plan active for the patient, and the prescribing Buprenorphine clinic. For patient who is prescribed this drug, the Buprenorphine cost also includes the cost of the physician’s office visit, the lab and diagnostic test charges, and emergency services like detoxification in case of an overdose and visits over and above the ones planned by the physician.
The need for a Buprenorphine clinic:
This drug will cause opioid dependency, like other narcotic drugs. This is because opium and its other forms, such as morphine, heroine and synthetic opioid compounds like Buprenorphine cause an abnormal mental state in those who use the drugs. It causes excessive drowsiness and unconsciousness. There is both a mental and physical addiction that happens. The addiction can occur gradually over a long period of time, and once it sets in the patient, it can become a very powerful addiction that can cause extremely painful and debilitating withdrawal effects during the de-addiction program. For this reason, you must always visit a well-established Buprenorphine clinic for your rehab program. Here are some important things that you need to know about a Buprenorphine clinic to ensure that you quickly get past your addiction and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Before you begin rehab treatment, a Buprenorphine clinic has to first do a complete physical checkup for you. This includes blood tests, urine drug tests and verification of your complete medical history and Buprenorphine addiction history.
The initial phase of your treatment will take time, and you must be prepared to experience mild and moderate withdrawal symptoms immediately. After starting the buprenorphine, the withdrawal symptoms will soon go away.
Addiction Affects Different Areas of Your Life
Drug addiction does not just affect a person’s body, but it also affects the mind of the person. Thus, you need to choose a good Buprenorphine clinic which has good mental heath experts that would evaluate you and guide you through the entire program, giving you the necessary psychological treatment required to cure your mind from the addiction.
A rehab treatment in a Buprenorphine clinic does not really have to be inpatient except in the initial stages for some. However, you must always follow the visit schedule to the Buprenorphine clinic at all times. You should continue to participate in treatment because if you don’t, you might relapse into the addiction. If you have been given medications, you need to keep following the medications as per the schedule.
You must remember that rehab treatment in a Buprenorphine clinic may take time. How long or how short the treatment lasts depends on you and your state of mind. The treatment is also completely voluntary, and you can back out of the Buprenorphine any time you want, but remember that successful treatment means staying away from the drug and leading a happy, healthy and productive life.
For more information, visit at http://www.allaboutsuboxone.com/suboxone-detox-the-solution-for-opioid-addiction/