medicine sans knwldg...

My brother, who celebrated his fst wedding anniv. the day before, met with an accident s'day. ( claimed to be bcos of thrushti). He was hit by an autorickshaw, which was overtaking him on chamiers road. He fell down with his bike, which bcos of inertia, he was travelling at 40- 50 kmph., dragged him across the rd. He was spared with sustaining a few bruises, saved by his helmet and shoe.

The auto hit and escaped. the number was not noted so a case cld not be filed. It is a farce that u have to amidst all that pain and tension will have to worry abt filing a complaint, failing which things cld be turned against u bcos of the delay.

My brother was rushed to a nearby hosp'l. by the onlookers. I should thank those humane ppl who happen to be at such places who care to attend to the injured while the mad crwd is more obssessed with itself.

After he gained some energy, he managed to call us and let us knw. His in-laws rushed at took charge/ care of him. Now that he was in safe hands we did not hear anything frm them. My mother was upset that her sentiments were not respected and that his in-laws had taken her son away frm her.... issues took a diffnt turn now. I cld only stand-by and laugh at wat was happening.

Finally we got to see him and were relieved that he had sustained only a few bruises. My mother had to be convinced abt wat happened during the brief prd, wen the in-laws had taken chrg.

I got an oppurtunity to attend to some of his injuries. I was happy that i finally had got an oppurtunity to spend some quality time with my br.. Ever since he fell in luv during his collg days, he become a sort of outsider, we lost the old intimacy and innocence.

I checked out some of the medicine, that was prescribed and their functionality , using google. Found the process very educative and thot evryone shld endeavor to knw abt the medicine they take and its fuctionality before they take it. let me jus share info abt a few chemicals that i learnt abt.

There was on tablet that had 3 chemicals: acelofenac, paracetamol and serratiopeptidase. All the three chemical had their own mechanism of healing inflamation. lets find out how.

Firstly, Aceclofenac belongs to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It works by blocking the action of a substance in the body called cyclo-oxygenase. Cyclo-oxygenase is involved in the production of various chemicals in the body, some of which are known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are produced in response to injury or certain diseases and would otherwise go on to cause pain, swelling and inflammation. Arthritic conditions are one example of this. Aceclofenac is used to relieve pain and inflammation in arthritic conditions. All the medicines in this group reduce inflammation caused by the body's own immune system and are effective pain killers. ( courtesy: http://www.tiscali.co.uk/lifestyle/healthfitness/health_advice/netdoctor/archive/100004233.html)

Interesting, r8?

Now abt paracetamol- Paracetamol is a medicine used in the treatment of mild to moderate pain. It is also useful for reducing fever. It is not fully understood how paracetamol produces these effects. Paracetamol can be used to reduce pain and fever associated with conditions such as headaches, toothache, teething, post-vaccination fevers and symptoms of colds and flu.

And finally, abt serratiopeptidase, Serratiopeptidase is a proteolytic enzyme derived from bacteria. It specifically digests the Bradykinins and fibrin formed in the process of inflammation and hence acts as an anti- inflammatory agent. Used in the treatment of various diseases caused by inflammation. ( http://www.biocon.com/biocon_products_bio_molecules_AIE.asp )

So u should now know how exactly do the medicines administered to u work upon u to get u cured. While learning abt these , u can also learn abt some catches like: Paracetamol, since its like a alcohol, shld not be given to a person with weak liver and such....

While further looking into the prescription, found out that these anti inflamatory drugs may cause peptic ulcer and that ther was a tablet included to prevent this. That tab contained ranitidine, whch works as follows:

Ranitidine is one of a group of medicines known as H2-receptor antagonists. It acts by blocking histamine receptors which are present on the cells in the stomach lining. Normally a substance called histamine binds to these receptors. Histamine is a chemical produced throughout the body and has many effects. When histamine binds to H2 receptors on cells in the stomach lining, it causes them to produce acid. Ranitidine binds to H2 receptors, replacing some of the histamine. As a result, the amount of stomach acid produced by these cells is decreased. Stomach acid is present as a normal part of the digestive process. If large amounts of stomach acid are produced this can cause the pain in the abdomen commonly known as indigestion. The excess acid may also flow back into the food pipe (oesophagus) causing pain and a burning sensation known as heartburn. Normally the lining of the stomach and duodenum (an area of the intestine directly after the stomach) have a protective layer which resists acid attack. If this layer is damaged, or large amounts of stomach acid are formed, a peptic ulcer can develop. Ranitidine decreases the amount of acid in the stomach and duodenum. As a result, ranitidine helps relieve the symptoms of indigestion and aids the healing of ulcers. It is also used to depress acid production in various other conditions. ( http://www.tiscali.co.uk/lifestyle/healthfitness/health_advice/netdoctor/archive/100004956.html )

Hope that was educative and u wld take this interesting ( ? )lesson with u.