Virtual Science Fair

By Joe Span

Health Effects

 

            

 

 

Demoral, Darvon, Codeine:	Impaired central nervous system function. Possibly fatal in certain strengths and combinations.
Bufferin, Aspirin, Excedrin, Anacin, Alka-Seltzer:	Possible irritation and bleeding in stomach and intestines.
Valium, Librium, etc.:	Decreases alertness, impairs judgment. Possibly fatal combination.
Sominex, Sleep-Ese:	Greatly increases drug’s potency, depressing central nervous system.
Dalmane, Seconal, Nembutal:	Very possibly fatal. Should never be combined.
Dristan, Coricidin, Nyquil:	Drowsiness and loss of alertness.
Insulin, Orinase, Tolinase:	Severe and unpredictable reactions. Should never be combined with alcohol.
Tetracycline, Seromycin, Fulvicin:	Can cause nausea and vomiting. Renders drug less effective.
High Blood Pressure Medications:	Increases potency, reducing blood pressure to dangerously low levels.
Anticoagulants:	Increases anti-coagulating potency of drug, leading to potentially life threatening bleeding.

Table sourced from http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/heal/a/aa082097.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      

                         

            

 

 

 

Alcohol and other Drugs

Liver disease

Brain damage

Alcohol has many negative effects. When utilised in moderation it is not extremely dangerous, however, when mixed with other substances and drugs it can have extreme effects. These substances are a few of the many substances that should never be mixed with alcohol.

Another effect of Alcohol is random memory loss due to blackouts. These blackouts can happen as an effect of alot of factors, some factors include, excessive drinking, drinking on an empty stomach, and drinking too fast.

These random acts while under the influence of alcohol can cause lifelong problems such as illegitimate children, imprisonment, or even fatal accidents. Teens and evidently anyone need to exercise caution while drinking, know their limits, and abide by them.

 

“White and colleagues (3) surveyed 772 college undergraduates about their experiences with blackouts and asked, “Have you ever awoken after a night of drinking not able to remember things that you did or places that you went?” Of the students who had ever consumed alcohol, 51 percent reported blacking out at some point in their lives, and 40 percent reported experiencing a blackout in the year before the survey. Of those who reported drinking in the 2 weeks before the survey, 9.4 percent said they blacked out during that time. The students reported learning later that they had participated in a wide range of potentially dangerous events they could not remember, including vandalism, unprotected sex, and driving.” Taken from  http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

 

Due to Alcohols transportation in the bloodstream, it causes damage to the brain in more than one sector. The most common is the shrinking in the cortex of the frontal lobe. This is the section of the brain responsible for most of the higher intellectual functions. Other areas of the brain are affected but this one in particular takes the largest of the impact

Because alcohol is transported throughout the body by means of the bloodstream, it effectively affects every organ; however the liver is one of the most damaged organs due to alcohol consumption. Because the liver is the organ responsible for removing alcohol from your blood stream it suffers the worst. In extreme cases the liver can develop cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is caused due to chronic injury, resulting in scar tissue replacing healthy tissue. This causes blood to be blockaded by the scar tissue and resists the natural flow and puts strain on the heart. Cirrhosis can also cause Hepatic encephalopathy.

Hepatic encephalopathy is a syndrome observed in patients with cirrhosis. Hepatic encephalopathy is defined as a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities in patients with liver dysfunction, after exclusion of other known brain disease. Hepatic encephalopathy is characterized by personality changes, intellectual impairment, and a depressed level of consciousness.

Definition taken from “http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/186101-overview”

 

Hepatic encephalopathy is essentially a permanent impartation of the mind. This cause’s family, job, and relationship issues. The infected is simply permanently intoxicated

 

 

Photo credit from

http://www.drugs.com/images/pills/custom/pill5182-1.jpg