Prescription Drug Addiction

The use of nonmedical prescription drugs increased dramatically in the 1990s, and remains at a high level. In 2007, approximately 7 million people aged 12 or older reported nonmedical use of a prescription drug. The most commonly abused medications are painkillers or opioids, with 5.2 million users. 1.2 million people use stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine. There are over 2 million users of central nervous system depressants like benzodiazepines. Like many illicit substances, these drugs alter the activity of the brain and can cause many adverse consequences, including addiction. For example, opioid pain relievers like Vicodin or OxyContin can cause health risks similar to opioids like heroin. The effects of these drugs depend on dose, route of administration and combination with other drugs. Because of increased use of nonmedical drugs, more people visit the emergency room at hospitals for accidental poisonings and treatment addictions. Treatments for prescription drugs tend to be similar to those for illicit drugs that affect the same brain systems. Thus, doctors prescribe buprenorphine to treat addiction to opioid pain medications. Behavioral therapies help addicts cope with stimulant, but there are no medicinal treatments for central nervous system depressant addictions.

Nail Med

Care of the fingernails and toenails is important. Poor nail care causes problems. Recommendations for maintaining nail health include: keeping nails clean and dry in order to keep bacteria and other infectious organisms from collecting under the nails; cutting nails straight across with only slight rounding at the tip; using a fine-textured file to keep nails shaped and free of snags; and avoiding nail-biting. Nail changes, swelling and pain can signal serious problems that may require a physician and medical nail care. Medical nail care includes preventing and treating diseases. Nail diseases are distinct from diseases of the skin. Although nails are a skin appendage, they have their own signs and symptoms, which can relate to other medical conditions. Nail conditions that show signs of infection or inflammation require medical assistance beyond a beauty parlor. Deformity or diseases of the nails are onychosis. Onychia is an inflammation of the nail folds of the nail with formation of pus and shedding of the nail. Onychia results from the introduction of microscopic pathogens through small wounds. The medical term for ingrown nails is onychocryptosis. Ingrown nails can affect the fingers and the toes. With this condition, the nail cuts into one or both sides of the nail bed, resulting in inflammation and possibly infection. The relative rarity of this condition in the fingers suggests that pressure from the ground or shoe against the toe is a prime cause. The movements involved in walking or other physical disturbances can contribute to the problem. Mild onychocryptosis in the absence of infection is treatable by trimming and rounding the nail. In more advanced cases including infection, doctors perform matrixectomy by surgically excising the in growing portion of the nail down to its bony origin and thermally or chemically cauterizing the matrix to prevent recurrence. The best results are by cauterizing the matrix with phenol.

Oral Antibiotics

Oral antibiotics used to treat acne include erythromycin or one of the tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline, the better absorbed oxytetracycline, or one of the once-daily doses of doxycycline, minocycline or lymecycline). Sometimes doctors prescribe Trimethoprim (off-label use in UK). However, reducing the P. acne bacteria will not do anything to reduce the oil secretion and abnormal cell behavior that is the initial cause of blocked follicles. Additionally antibiotics are becoming less and less useful, as resistant P. acne strains are becoming more common. Acne will generally reappear quite soon after the end of treatment--days later in the case of topical applications, and weeks later in the case of oral antibiotics. Furthermore, side effects of tetracycline antibiotics can include yellowing of the teeth and an imbalance of gut flora, so doctors recommended these treatments after the determining that topical products have no effectiveness. Studies show that sub-antimicrobial doses of antibiotics such as minocycline also improve acne. Doctors believe that the anti-inflammatory property of minocycline also prevents acne. These low doses do not kill bacteria and hence cannot induce resistance.

Common Signs of a Sleep Disorder

Look over this list of common signs of a sleep disorders and talk to your doctor if any of these symptoms appear:

• It takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night
• Waking up in the night and then have trouble falling back to sleep again
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Not feeling rested despite spending 7 to 8 hours or more asleep at night
• Feeling sleepy during the day and fall asleep within five minutes given the opportunity to nap; or falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day
• While sleeping audible snoring, snorting, gasping or choking sounds occur or breathing stops
• While sleeping creeping, tingling or crawling feelings occur in the legs only relieved by moving or massaging
• Dreams are vivid or dreamlike experiences occur while falling asleep or dozing
• Muscle weakness occurs when angry, fearful or when laughing
• A feeling of paralysis upon first waking up
• Arms and legs experience jerking movements during sleep
• Stimulants are necessary to stay awake during the day

Also keep in mind that, although children can show some of these same signs of a sleep disorder, children often do not show signs of excessive daytime sleepiness. Instead, children may seem overactive and have difficulty focusing and concentrating. Children also may not very good in school.