Benefits and Disadvantages of Narcotics - Research Paper Example

Narcotics are drug substances that trigger the effects of dizziness and sleep. For this characteristic, they gain usage in the medical field for certain purposes. Medical practitioners employ narcotics, during medical surgery, to minimize or eliminate pain. Narcotics, in medical terms, are divided into analgesics and anaesthetics (Levinthal, 2008). Analgesics are used medically to reduce pain while anesthetics entirely eradicate sensation. Anaesthetics divide into groups that get rid of sensation for parts of the body while maintaining mind awareness. Some anaesthetics, however, get rid of pain for the whole body system. The medics use methods that can facilitate reversing the consciousness lost. Analgesics entail drugs such as morphine and while anaesthetics entail substances such as cocaine and procaine. This discussion is vital since it explores the benefits and disadvantages of utilizing narcotics in medical practice.

The most conspicuous advantage of narcotic drug use in medicine regards their ability to sedate and stop sensations during surgeries or therapy (Levinthal, 2008). Anaesthetics offer the advantage of reversibility of patients’ unconscious states. During cancer therapy, patients are prone to experience severe pain. Besides, narcotics are employed in medical surgery to prevent sensations.

The first advantage of narcotics use in medicine is that it is an opportunity for revenue growth in hospitals. This opportunity is usually available to pharmaceutical firms in many aspects. One dimension of commercial motive is that pharmaceutical firms produce healthy versions of these drugs out of their raw form. In addition, pharmacists perform qualitative and quantitative performance tests on samples of drugs. For instance, a country acquires opioids, which are intended for medical usage, from other countries. Thereafter, the substances are manufactured and dispensed by pharmaceutical firms (Levinthal, 2008). Pharmacists modify the content of drugs and describe the right prescription for respective circumstances.

Surgeons employ certain types of anaesthesia to reduce the aftermath effects of anaesthesia during surgery. The substances also relieve surgery-related pains. This is because of the extreme experiences that patients undergo after surgery. These experiences include hallucinations, vivid dreaming and euphoria. Euphoria causes illusions that render’ patients in a state of temporary brain imbalance. Drugs such as Ketamine restore normalcy in brain functionality.

Coca substances provide the utility of curing stomach ailments. Morphine is a remedy for diarrhoea control during cases of cholera. Diarrhoea, as a symptom of cholera, possesses a potent concern for the deterioration of a patient’s health. Morphine, therefore, curbs the water loss during diarrhoea. Morphine’s ability to dissolve in water enhances its affectivity.

In addition, rehabilitation programmes use certain narcotic drugs to curb addictions to other detrimental drugs (Levinthal, 2008). For instance, Methadone, which is an artificial narcotic substance, is utilized as an alternative for heroines during heroin addiction therapy. It also shares sedative characteristics. Patients partake of methadone orally whereby it causes mild euphoria. Methadone, otherwise, averts the desire for heroin. Similarly, coca alleviates symptoms of indigestion, constipation and other digestive disorders. Since such diseases do not present much risk to the patients, such alleviation covers up for the time of natural healing. Moreover, natural coca has the property of triggering appetite among sick patients.

Conversely, narcotics are, too, detrimental to the human body. Narcotics' utility in medicine can cause conditions known as morphinomania. This is a condition whereby patients share an uncontrollable urge for morphine. The mode of subjecting the drug into the body usually entails the use of syringes. This aspect is described from two perspectives. Dependence can be either physical or psychological. Physical dependence is a situation where a human being’s body becomes accustomed to a prescribed medication. In turn, the drug adapts to the body system and requires for normal body operations (Levinthal, 2008). Conversely, psychological addiction refers to the craving that a person possesses for a drug; regardless of whether the drug is intended for pain relief or not. However, the dependency is redeemable by prescription of a different narcotic. Closely related to this, these drugs can trigger stomach disorders such as constipation. In response to this, affected patients are advised to partake of at least eight glasses of water. Opiates also create cardiovascular complications due to haemorrhage.

In a nutshell, narcotics usage from a medical perspective divides into analgesics and anaesthetics. Analgesics refer to pain-alleviating narcotic substances. Conversely, anaesthetics refer to narcotic drugs that prevent sensation during medical therapies or medical surgeries. Narcotic usage shares both disadvantages and advantages. The first advantage discussed concerns the narcotics' ability to reduce pain and hinder sensation during medical treatments. These drugs help deter psychological trauma due to such treatments. Narcotics also present a revenue avenue for pharmacists. This relates to the manufacture and tests of these drugs. Narcotics, also, remedy post-surgery trauma in patients. The post-surgery symptoms included dizziness, illusions and other mind disorders. In addition, such drugs aid in eliminating stomach disorders’ symptoms to cover for the natural treatment period. Narcotics also possess disadvantages. Narcotics can lead to dependency in terms of physical and psychological addiction. Moreover, they can cause cardiovascular problems due to haemorrhage. Otherwise, such complications can be controlled if the instructions involved are strictly adhered to.