Professor Devine
Health 10-2357
May 25, 2017 Cocaine
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cocaine is third most commonly abused illegal drugs in the U.S. after marijuana and heroin. Even though cocaine is an illegal drug, still some health care providers can use it for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, numbing and decreasing bleeding during nasal surgery.
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug which produces high that gives people energy and they become more talkative. This drug is made from the extracts of the leaves of the coca plant which is mostly found in the Andes and South America. People use this drug, because it increases the normal level of awareness, alertness …show more content…
When people snort cocaine powder through the nose, they lose their sense of smell and have frequent nosebleeds, runny nose, and problems with swallowing, severe bowel decay from reduced blood flow. The one who uses needles to inject it into the bloodstream have a higher risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other Bloodborne diseases. Even if they don’t exchange needle, still because cocaine impairs judgment, they are at risk sexual behavior with other HIV or Hepatitis infected partners. Cocaine causes heart muscle damage which induces cell death in the muscles of the heart. Just like other substance use, cocaine induces long-term changes in the brain. The human brain is made of many different parts which are responsible for coordinating and performing specific functions. And cocaine increases levels of dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain which controls movement and pleasure. The method of usage makes a big difference in its effects such as, faster the drug is absorbed, the more intense the resulting …show more content…
Users might feel happy, bright and alert after taking cocaine, but coming down from the effect will take many days and people feel tired, depressed and anxious . Users can feel paranoid and agitated, have hallucinations, take risks, ignore pain, act strange or violent, and display unpredictable or violent behaviour.
Overdose of cocaine can be really dangerous and also lead to death. An overdose can be intentional or unintentional, but an overdose of cocaine can cause abnormal heart rate, seizures, heart attack, stroke, and coma. It becomes even more risky when people use cocaine while drinking alcohol at the same time. Mixing cocaine with heroin, is a deadly combination.
Like many other drug abuse treatments, it is not easy to treat cocaine abuse treatment. There are many treatments available to treat this abuse, some are delivered in inpatient facilities which provide accommodation to the treatment seeker until they are receiving therapy. While some receive outpatient treatment in which patients makes regular appointments at a center or clinic to receive treatment. Treatments provided in both inpatient and outpatient facilities can be both behavioral and