Portable Air Conditioning

Caffeine is a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid stimulant drug that acts as a stimulant drug. This bitter alkaloid is part of chemical mixtures found within insoluble complexes guaranine which is found in guarana, theine which is found in tea, as well as mateine which is found in yerba mate.

Caffeine is found in different quantities within leaves, beans, and even some fruit. For the most part humans use caffeine that has been extracted from cherries of the coffee plant as well as the leaves from the popular tea bush. Occasionally you can find caffeine as as source from the kola nut, guarana berries, Yaupon Holly, and yerba mate.

There is great debate regarding the pros and cons to caffeine, as well as it’s effects on the body. For starters caffeine is first and foremost a central nervous stimulant. Because of this caffeine can help to fight off drowsiness thus increasing the ability to focus needed attention. Some of the most popular drinks that contain caffeine are tea, coffee, energy drinks, and even the common soft drinks. Because of this these drinks are very popular among most all people. In fact caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world. Here the debate often turns to the fact that caffeine is also not regulated in most parts of the world. Statistics show that more than 90% of North American adults consume caffeine on a daily basis.

The group that I would like to discuss regarding possible negative effects in particular is that of body builders and weightlifters. Caffeinated drinks are also very popular among this group. Besides possible nervousness, anxiety, tremulousness, insomnia, muscle twitching, respiratory alkalosis, stress, gastrointestinal problems, adrenal exhaustion, premature aging, headaches, and heart palpitations, caffeine can also be very constricting when it comes to blood flow and muscle growth, the very thing that a bodybuilder and weightlifter strive after. In fact caffeine limits blood flow and this is exactly what you don’t want. When the blood flow is restricted muscle growth is stunted. This is definitely the last thing that you could want if your goal is to grow your muscles.

For this reason it is suggested that when taking a muscle builder of any kind, such as a creatine, that you chose one without the stimulant caffeine. In fact there are many supplements that you can take to help build muscle that have no trace of stimulants like caffeine. Caffeinated muscle builders have been shown to reduce the benefits of different creatines and NO2 by constricting blood vessels. As a vessel constrictor it significantly decreases the ability to get the benefits of a lot of ingredients found in supplements. For example if you are taking caffeinated creatine, it will actually decrease the likelihood that the creatine will effective reach you targeted muscle group. Because of this it is extremely important that you don’t use any blood constricting supplements that contain caffeine.

Quantitative easing, or the process of creating more money out of nothing, is a monetary policy taken by central banks as a last resort to stimulate a stagnant economy. The reason why this policy is to be taken as a last resort is because of the risks involved. A nation’s economy can be totally ruined if this action fails. Unfortunately, the nation in focus is the United States and the currency, the US Dollar.

The US dollar is known to be the most stable currency in the world. This is why other countries hold dollar reserves and international trades are done using this currency. If a monetary policy as risky as quantitative easing fails, the effects are not felt just in the United States but also by other countries around the world.

One of the negative effects is the price of commodities. Investors have gotten skeptical that QE will work in the US and are worried that the devaluation of the US dollar will bring down their net worth. Instead of holding on to the US dollar, investors are now choosing to invest in other more stable items such as commodities, crude oil, gold and other precious metals. By shifting their investments in these commodities, the investors have created a bigger demand thereby driving the prices of the commodities higher and higher.

The prices of crude oil have sky rocketed and the world is feeling its effects, especially the poorer nations. Once the price of oil goes up, the prices of other basic goods also go up.

Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic drug that directly effects the central nervous system. It is generally prescribed to manage pain after surgeries. It has neurotoxic effects on brain and is very addictive. Many people are getting addicted to Morphine unaware of its adverse effects on health.

Side effects
There are many side effects which result because of the Morphine abuse. The side effects of Morphine abuse include constipation, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, histamine release, pruritus (itching), flushing, dry mouth, excessive sweating, abdominal pain, somnolence (sleepy or drowsy feeling), hypotension (low blood pressure), euphoria (feeling of intense bliss, joy, excitement and happiness) etc. Some of the major side effects of Morphine are:

Constipation
Morphine reduces gut motility which results in constipation and it inhibits nitric oxide generation. Morphine reduces gut secretion and increases intestinal fluid absorption which leads to constipation.

Inflammation of the liver
Morphine abuse can cause Hepatitis C or inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C virus can be generally found in intravenous drug abusers. Morphine complicates hepatitis C by suppressing the immunity and also enhances the hepatitis C virus replication. Morphine abuse ultimately leads to progression of the disease.

Addiction
Morphine is a very potent and highly addictive drug. It can cause psychological and physical dependance. It mainly activates the brain’s reward system. The ability of the Morphine is that it chemically alters the normal functioning of the reward system which leads to Morphine addiction. It is also said that it takes only a few days for an individual to get addicted to it.

Tolerance
There will be rapid tolerance to the analgesic effect of abuse of Morphine in abuser. Because of its high addictive nature, the Morphine abuser needs higher and higher doses to maintain the same effect of the drug.

Withdrawal
Sudden withdrawal of Morphine abuse leads to prototypical opioid withdrawal syndrome, suicide, heart attacks, strokes, seizures, dehydration, muscle twitches, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, muscle and bone aches, loss of appetite, involuntary urination etc.

Overdose
Morphine overdose is a result of intentional or accidental intake of too much drug. It will lead to asphyxia (condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body) and death due to respiratory depression if the person does not get medical attention immediately.

Effects on other systems and processes
The effects of Morphine on other systems and processes are slow metabolism, moderate blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, acute and chronic effects on the endocrine system, blood, heart and lungs.

Effects on immune system
The Morphine abusers have higher risk of infection of pneumonia, tuberculosis and HIV, as Morphine decreases the immunity. Morphine influences the production of neutrophils and cytokines which are a part of immune system. In Morphine abusers, there is high risk of infections and Morphine also may impair the healing of the wound.

Effects on human performance
Morphine is known as a Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant. Early effects of Morphine include slowed reaction time, sleepiness, depressed consciousness, poor performance on divided attention and psychomotor tasks. The late effects of Morphine include inattentiveness, slowed reaction time, poor concentration, greater error rate in tests, fatigue, easy distraction etc.

The long term abuse of Morphine results in deadly effects like brain damage because of neurotoxic effects of the drug. It is a long and painful process to overcome the psychologically dependence on Morphine. There is higher chances of relapse in Morphine abusers after stopping its use. The high rate of relapse testifies the addictive characteristics of Morphine. Hence, it is important to not to suffer from all these problems by getting addicted to Morphine. It only gives small amount of pleasure but later it kills like a slow poison.

Heroin is a highly addictive drug semi-synthetic opioid drug. This central nervous system depressant is one of the highly abused illegal drugs in United States. According to a survey by NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) in 2008, there was an increase in Heroin abuse in teenagers from 153,000 in 2007 to 213,000 in 2008. Around 114,000 aged 12 or older used Heroin for the first time in 2008. These statistics clearly state that many people are getting addicted to this harmful drug which has numerous negative effects on the abusers.

Many harmful effects such as miscarriages, heart infections, death from overdose, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis etc., are associated with Heroin abuse. Following are the worst effects among Heroin abusers:

Ugly features in appearance
Heroin abusers will have very ugly physical appearance. They appear skinny, unkempt and less hygienic. The person’s veins will be collapsed, will have keloids, pus discharge from the scars all over the body due to regular injection of the drug.

Droopy stance
Heroin addicts appear drowsy or very much relaxed. They have trouble sitting, standing or changing positions. They appear lost in their own world. They have to drag themselves to walk, as they feel some heaviness in their legs and arms.

Constricted pupils
When the human eye is exposed to bright light, there is constriction of pupil to prevent aberrations due to light rays. Due to aging, the pupil naturally becomes smaller and does not open wide in dim light, but Heroin abusers will have constricted pupils which do not respond to changes in light. Pin point pupils are observed in Heroin addicts during overdose.

Poor hygiene
Heroin addicts do not take proper care of themselves. They do not take shower regularly or change their garments. The person will no longer fix hair or perform other grooming tasks. Heroin smokers have very poor dental hygiene. They suffer with many diseases which result due to poor hygiene.

Runny nose
Heroin abusers who snort Heroin are much prone to respiratory problems. They have runny nose with heavy mucous discharge. Their nose appears to be red. They have flu like symptoms.

Watery eyes
A Heroin addict will have watery eyes. They also have dark circles around their eyes. More amount of snorting Heroin may lead to ocular candidiasis.

Slurred speech
One can easily identify a Heroin abuser by his slurred speech. As the Heroin abusers will always be in trance like state, they have problems while speaking. It may be due to the depression of nervous system by Heroin.

Pale clammy skin
The Heroin abusers will have cool, moist and pale skin. It is because of lack of proper nutrition and hygiene. It also may be due to fall in blood pressure and heart rate which will result in improper blood supply. Chronic Heroin abusers have bluish skin and nails.

Not active in attitude
Heroin abusers are always drowsy or in a trance like state. They have lethargy and apathetic attitude towards their education, family or work. They have attention and concentration deficits. They even neglect their important tasks which results in declined performance at school, college or work.

Above mentioned are only just a few of the worst effects of Heroin abuse. It has many other harmful effects on vital organs like kidneys, liver, lungs and skin. The Heroin abusers are much prone to viral infections because of unsafe use of needles. Therefore, it is better to avoid Heroin than suffering with the dangerous effects of abuse.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a central nervous system stimulant, which affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control. Hence, this is used in the treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperacitivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, lethargy, obesity, and other psychiatric disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Many people, particularly teens think that MPH is safe or mild drug because of its medical use. Pre-teens and adolescents abuse this drug to lose weight, stay awake or increase their attention span or for euphoric effects. According to a report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released in 2009, 1.8 percent of 8th graders, 3.6 percent of 10th graders, and 2.1 percent of 12th graders abuse methylphenidate.

Many of them are ignorant of the adverse side effects of using methylphenidate in higher doses or without prescription. There are many common and serious side effects of MPH abuse. Some of them are:

Common side effects:
The few main common side effects of methylphenidate abuse are:

Addiction
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, MPH abuse may lead to tolerance and severe psychological dependence, Methlyphenidate is considered as a ‘Schedule II drug,’ as it has high addiction potential. Methylphenidate is as addictive as cocaine or any other illicit drug.

Anxiety and irritability
MPH abuser may feel restless, edgy or keyed up. MPH abuser will have difficulty in concentration, muscle tension, sleep disturbances which result in anxiety and irritability. MPH results in anxiety because of increase in blood pressure.

Decreased appetite
The MPH acts as an appetite suppressor. MPH abusers may experience fatigue as the proper nutrition is not supplied to the body due to decreased appetite. It also induces weight loss. This is the main reason of abuse in teenagers for weight reduction. This overall leads to malnutrition.

Headache and stomach ache
Many people using MPH without a professional medical practioner’s advice, suffer from headache and stomach ache. As with any other illicit drug, headache and stomach ache might result because of the methylphenidate drug overdose.

Other effects
The other effects of MPH include nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, growth suppression, leukopenia (decrease in WBC), hypersensitivity, skin rashes, anemia, jaundice, nervousness, anorexia, tachycardia, agitation, hallucinations, psychosis, hyperthermia, dysrhythmias, lethargy, hypertension etc.

Serious effects:
Some of the serious effects of MPH abuse include:

Slow growth (height and weight)
As the appetite is decreased by the use of MPH, proper minerals and vitamins which are required to the body are not provided. This results in slow growth. Usually, there will not be much increase in weight and height. Dwarfism might result as a result of malnutrition.

Seizures
Seizures are one of the major side effects of MPH. Generally, seizures are caused because of abnormal brain function. Methylphenidate drug abuse causes seizures as it affects the chemical composition of the brain. Prolonged use of MPH will lead to epilepsy.

Eyesight changes or Blurred vision
After the intake of MPH, some people have visual disturbances. MPH abuse causes changes in eyesight. Sometimes, it may also result in blurred vision as a result of overdose. The overdose might also result in enlargement of the pupil of the eye.

Many children and adults are getting addicted to this drug as a result of prolonged abuse. It is important to know the serious and adverse effects of this drug. It is necessary to educate people, particularly teenagers about the adverse effects of MPH in order to prevent them from destroying their life.