The euphoria associated with the short-term effects of cocaine comes with long-term costs for habitual users. This powerful stimulant has anesthetic effects and addictive properties that hold addicts in thrall even after the devastating effects of...
Individuals who abuse drugs risk many medical problems, says psychiatrist Esther Gwinnell in her 2008 book, "The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse." For example, drug abusers who inject illegal drugs with shared needles risk catching any communicable...
Humans use a wide variety of different kinds of drugs for recreational purposes, as well as for ill-advised attempts at self-medication. Some drugs, such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, are legally sanctioned. Others are used illicitly. ...
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant. Crack is the name given to the freebase form of cocaine. Made by dissolving powder cocaine in water and an alkaloid such as ammonia, followed by adding a solvent, the result is a solid, which separates as a...
Crack cocaine is cheap to make and is a very addictive stimulant drug. It produces an instant high and is widely abused, often leading to severe physical or psychological addiction, reports the National Drug Intelligence Center. Crack cocaine is...
Cocaine is a favorite among street drugs and is widely used, but it is far from fun and games. Long term use of cocaine leads to the failure of many organs including the skin, brain, lungs and central nervous system. Cocaine is very potent and...
Crack cocaine is a drug that belongs to a class of narcotics called stimulates, and it is a derivative of cocaine. Crack cocaine works by preventing the breakdown of serotonin within the brain. Serotonin is a chemical by which normal brain cells...
Addiction to alcohol and other drugs occurs in nearly every demographic group. The effects of addiction on an individual can be devastating, or even deadly. Careers, family relationships and self-esteem have all been destroyed by the ravages of...
Cocaine and rock cocaine, also known as crack, are powerful illegal stimulants that cause serious negative health effects. Cocaine has been used since 1860, when it was first isolated from South American coca leaves. Crack cocaine became popular...
Drug addiction is a disease with behavioral and physiological symptoms. Drug addiction begins with compulsive drug use that progresses until patients feel they need their drug of choice to function. Over time, addicts require higher and higher...
Rock climbing can lead you to shuffling on boulders, scaling steep faces or lunging for cracks -- types of climbing that come complete with their own type of shoe. Rock climbing shoes all share the same components, but they differ when it comes to...
When cocaine is processed with ammonia, then heated, a smokable form of the drug known as freebase cocaine is formed. This inhaled form of the drug makes a crackling sound when burned, hence its street name, "crack." The blood vessels in the...
More than 7 million Americans report a lifetime use of crack cocaine with more than 400,000 of those being current users, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Cocaine in general is the second most used illicit drug next to marijuana....
Crack-cocaine (the term 'crack' will be used for the duration of this article) is a form of cocaine popularized in the 1980s due to its side effects and low cost. Crack comes in rock form, is smoked and (unlike powdered cocaine) has not been...
Americans spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Furnaces, tobacco products, building materials, household chemicals and furnishings release pollutants into your home or...
Knees that crack and pop are fairly common among athletes and people who exercise. The way the joint works can cause painless cracking sounds during cardio, lunges and other exercises that require your knee to flex and extend. If the cracking...
Fatigue is an extreme feeling of exhaustion that interferes with daily functioning and is often accompanied by lack of motivation or desire to anything but sleep. Fatigue can also cause body weakness and an inability to perform daily functions....
Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood. The blood can be mixed with mucus or be pink and bubbly, or bright red. The Mayo Clinic says coughing up a little bit of sputum tinged with blood is not uncommon and usually doesn't...
Clavulanate potassium is an antibiotic used to fight specific bacterial infections of the lungs, urinary tract, ear, sinuses and skin. It may be used alone or in combination with another antibacterial medication. Lung cancer is primarily caused by...
Air pollution within homes and businesses is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency to be two to five times more concentrated than it is outside of the home. In America, where people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, the prevalence...
For many people, a dry indoor climate due to low humidity causes a variety of discomforts--from increased risk of colds and flu to dry skin. A humidifier is a device that adds moisture back into the air, and according to the American Lung...
According to the Mayo Clinic, cracked ribs are most commonly caused by a trauma to the chest from falling, car accident or a blunt blow to the torso. Cracked ribs don’t pose as much danger to the lungs as do broken ribs, but they can still...
Overview Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin. It is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant which grows on the mountain slopes of the Andes Mountains of South America. Cocaine is distributed illegally, usually as a...
Radon is a toxic gas that is colorless, tasteless and odorless that may be present in your home and other buildings. Even though it is difficult to detect without proper testing, it may be affecting the health of you and your family. In fact,...
