Running head: THE EFFECTS OF HYDROMORPHONE ON THE BODY 1
Running head: THE EFFECTS OF HYDROMORPHONE ON THE BODY 5
The Effects of Hydromorphone on the Body and Mind
Mark S. Owens
Southeastern University
Abstract
This paper will discuss the application and some side effects of the drug Hydromorphone. I will explore when and why the drug is administered, as well as the biological processes that take place in the central nervous and/or peripheral nervous system that lead to the side effects.
Keywords: Hydromorphone, Dilaudid, Side Effects
The Effects of Hydromorphone on the Body and Mind
Hydromorphone, more commonly known as Dilaudid, is classified as an opioid drug used to relieve extreme pain in individuals. According to The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, this drug may be administered orally, parenterally, or through epidural, in order that it may reach our central nervous system and influence the actions of our neurotransmitters at the synaptic junctions between neurons (“What Are Opioids”, 2018). Hydromorphone can have many effects both biologically and psychologically. “Medline Plus” (2018) lists many side effects of this drug. I will discuss the following three: nausea, drowsiness, and itching.
Opioids work by interacting with opioid receptors in the spinal cord and brain, where they attach themselves and activate opioid proteins found on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, and other organs throughout the body. This process decreases the pain signals that are transmitted, thereby reducing the level of pain in the individual. The drug also affects the areas of the brain that control emotions, producing a numbing effect for many, which also lowers the intensity of the pain being experienced.
A large portion of patients who take this medication experiences some degree of nausea, and while many think they are having an allergic reaction, it’s quite the opposite. The brain is performing a natural reaction to a substance that does not belong in the blood stream and signals receptors to rid the body of...