health

• what are medicines - chemicals/substances that are used to prevent and cure diseases. they also protect us from diseases. usually made from laboratories. some are made from chemicals, others are made from nature stuff. once ___ are produced, they wait for first approved by the food and drug administration (FDA)
• different types of medicines - capsules, tablets, syrup and other liquid forms such as powder, gels, creams, ointments, inhalers, and patches. people use/take them in the form applicable to them.
• most children are given medicines in liquid form. they have difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules. adults usually take them in tablet and capsule forms
• there are diseases that can be treated by creams and ointments. theres also medicines that are injected the skin or muscles. theyre in liquid form. patches are also available for the body aches
• 1. uses of medicine, for protection - medicines __ people from diseases. parents give their kid vitamins and mineral supplements to take. these help the body. sunscreen protects the skin from harmful rays of the sun
• 2. for prevention - medicines help people prevent being sick in the future. sometimes kids are not getting the nutrients they need, there are medicines that prevent nutrient deficiencies
• 3. to cure diseases - when someone is sick, medicine is taken to feel better and __ the disease. the medicine will help fight or kill the germs in the body
• the 2 types of general medicine: over-the-counter (OTC), and prescription (Rx)
• 1. over-the-counter or nonprescription medicine (OTC) - can be bought without the doctor's prescription. available from an open shelf of a pharmacy, drugstore, grocery. can be taken without a doctors order but with caution. users rely on the info label for dosage and usage of the medicine
• 2. prescription medicine (Rx) - cannot be bought without the doctor's prescription. can be bought only from a pharmacy. dosage and usage are prescribed by doctors. the person named in the prescription is the only one who can take the medicine.
• medicine misuse - the use of medicine which is different from its intended use. medicine should only be taken as prescribed, if medicines are taken not the following direction, then its considered misuse.
• ways that a person is misuse medicines - 1. doing self medication. taking the medicine to treat health problems without the advice or order of a doctor
• 2. improper use of medicine - a. taking more than what is prescribed to get a faster effect. b. underdosage or taking less than whats prescribed. c. taking a medicine at the wrong time or forgetting to take medicine at the right time. d. taking the medicine longer or shorter than prescribed
• 3. using other person's prescription
• 4. taking medicine other than prescribed
• 5. taking OTC medicine without adult supervision
• medicine abuse - the intentional use of a medicine without medical or health reasons
• what ways can a person abuse medicine - 1. using a prescription medicine without prescription and not a for a medical reason
• 2. repeated use of the medicine without medical purpose.
• 3. taking the medicine to "get high" or get a feeling of pleasure
• 4. medicine overdose
• related terms to medicine/drug misuse and abuse: drug dependence and drug addiction.
• drug dependence - a condition in which a person can no longer function normally without taking medicine. ex: insomnia (they always take sleeping pills in order to go to sleep)
• drug addiction - occurs when a person develops an uncontrollable craving for the drugs she/he's abusing. (medicine misuse, abuse, dependence, addiction can result to death)
• medicine use - using a medicine appropriately, as prescribed, or as directed for health reasons.