Pharmacology

Allergy   In defence against infecting organisms, the body produces antibodies which combine with protein in the organisms to neutralise any effects which they may have upon the body. By means of this defence mechanism the body develops resistance or immunity.This often gives protection against reinfection by the same organism (e.g. You never get chicken-pox twice). An antibody is a protein (globulin) which reacts only with the protein of the infecting organism (usually called an antigen) responsible for its formation. There is no cross antibody formation to other organism (cross immunity), for example, between measles and polio. Sometimes renewed exposure to an infection produces a different or altered response - this is called allergy, which is the result of the body having been sensitised to that organism. Allergy to organisms is rare and most allergy is to a foreign protein (i.e. a protein not made by your body and not known to you own defence systems).   ...

Drugs Used to Treat Parkinsonism parkinsonism is a disorder of the nervous system in which voluntary movement is disturbed, involuntary movements occur and the tone of muscles is altered. Voluntary movements become slow and shaky (tremor) and muscles become stiff (rigidity). The group of signs and symptoms produced are usually referred to as the 'Parkinsin's syndrome' or simply as 'parkinsomism'. There are several causes and the severity of the disorders varies between patients. A not infrequent cause these days is the long-term use of anti-psychotic drugs.    To function properly, centres in the brain responsible for controlling movement are kept in balance by two nerve transmitter systems, acetylcholine and dopermin. These two systems in the brain are often referred to as the cholinergic system and Doperminergic system respectively. In parkinsonism the doperminegic system appears to be defective so that the control mechanisms of movement become unbal...

Sleeping Drugs Sleep         Sleep requirements vary from person to person and so 'normal' sleep is what suits you under ordinary everyday circumstances. The amount of sleep you need is much a part of you as your appetite or your conscience. If your sleep is disturbed for only a night or two, this is usually of no consequences but, if the disturbance persists for two or more weeks, then you have a sleep problem and need to take action.         Insomnia really means sleeplessness but, nowadays it is used to describe most sleeping difficulties. These include difficulty in getting off to sleep, inability to stay asleep, frequent awakenings, restless sleep - often with night-mares, early morning wakening, and sleep which is not refreshing (you wake up and continue to feel as exhausted as you did when you went to bed).         There are many causes of sleep disturbance - these may be social, physical o...