Chapter 19 Lesson 1: The Role of Medicines (Hannah Miller p.6)

Chapter 19 Lesson 1: The Role of Medicines (Hannah Miller p.6)

1. Types of Medicines

   • preventing disease
     • Vaccines: A preparation that prevents a person from contracting a specific disease Antitoxins: Fight bacteria that produce substances toxic to the body
   • Fighting Pathogens
     • Antibiotics: a class of drug that destroy disease-causing microorganisms called bacteria. They kill harmful bacteria in the body or by preventing bacteria from reproducing.
     • Antivirals: Suppress the virus, but don't kill it. Antifungals: Suppress of kill fungus cells, such as athlete's foot and ringworm.

2. Relieving pain

   • Analgesics: pain relievers Aspirin relieves pain and reduces fevers Narcotics: Types of medicines that relieve and can be addictive

3. managing chronic conditions

   • Allergy medicines: Antihistamines reduce allergy symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes, etc. and block chemicals released by the immune system that cause an allergic response.
   • Body Regulating Medicines: Diabetics use insulin, which regulates the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Asthma sufferers may take medicines that control symptoms and prevent attacks. Cardiovascular medicines regulate blood pressure, normalize heartbeats, etc.
   • Antidepressant & Antipsychotic Medicines: Regulate brain chemistry, stable moods, helps people with mental illnesses.
   • Cancer Treatment Medicines: Reduces rapid cell growth to help stop the spread of cancer cells. Chemotherapy kills uses chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells. Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer cells. 

4. Taking Medications

   • Oral medicines
     • Tablets, capsules, or liquids taken by mouth. Pass from the digestive system into the bloodstream.
   • topical medicines
     • Applied to the skin. 
   • Inhaled Medicines
     • Delivered in a fine mist or powder. (asthma medicines)
   • Injected medicines
     • Delivered through a shot and they go directly into the bloodstream.

5. Reactions to Medications

   • Side effects
     • Reactions to medicine other than the one intended. (drowsiness, or can be as extreme as death).
   • Medicine interactions
     • Additive interaction
       • medicines work together in a positive way
     • Synergistic Effect
       • The interaction of two or more medicines that results in a greater effect than when each medicine is taken alone.
     • Antagonistic Effect
       • The effect of one medicine is canceled or reduced when taken with another medicine.
   • Tolerance and Withdrawal
     • Tolerance
       • The body becomes used to the effect of a medicine. Requires more medicine to produce the same effect as before.
     • Withdrawal
       • A person stops using a medicine on which he or she has become physiologically dependent. Symptoms: nervousness, insomnia, vomiting, severe headaches, chills, and cramps. They gradually ease in time.