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Health
This section provides a variety of information and advice on the major health issues facing students.
Please do not hesitate to contact Gareth or Keir in your Students' Union for further information or to discuss an issue not covered in these pages.
Sexual Health
Sex is likely to be part of life at some stage for each of us and realistically sometimes things can get complicated.
As it is so closely related to our emotional and physical health, it is important to be clued up on who and what can help you stay as sane and fit as possible.
Mental Health
Mental Health is often thought of as a negative thing, and referred to as such, even though we are all mental beings just as much as physical beings with the two being just as important as each other.
Mental health is a broad topic, which ranges from the day-to-day worries and concerns that we have regularly to the intensity of suicidal depression where some individuals find that they lose all contact with the outside world. This section covers topics such as Depression and Stress, as well as general mental health issues.
Meningitis
This section provides information about Meningitis and how to recognise the symptoms.
How do you get Meningitis?
- Meningitis may be caused by many different viruses and bacteria, or by diseases that cause inflammation of tissues of the body without infection.
- GLASS TUMBLER TEST FOR RASH - If a glass tumbler is pressed firmly against this rash, the rash will not fade, it will remain visible through the glass. If this happens you should seek medical advice immediately.How serious is Meningitis?
- Meningitis is very serious and can be life-threatening
- Symptoms of meningitis may appear suddenly.
- Symptoms often include high fever, severe and persistent headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting.
- Changes in behaviour such as confusion, sleepiness, and difficulty waking up are extremely important symptoms and may require emergency treatment.How long does Meningitis last?
This will vary depending on the type of meningitis, certain bacterial forms being the most severe (see below).
How is Meningitis treated?
- If meningitis is suspected, medical advice should be sought immediately. Because some of the early symptoms might be similar to other conditions.
- Prevention is better than cure! Effective vaccines are now available against some types of meningitis.
- Individuals with bacterial meningitis are hospitalised and treated with antibiotics.
- People with viral meningitis may not require specific treatment, but they are usually observed in a hospital and examined to ensure they do not have bacterial meningitis.
- The information on this website is not here in place of professional medical advice, if symptoms are suspected medical advice should be sought immediately.
Drugs
This section contains a variety of information about various drugs and their effects.
Drug Name: | Alcohol |
| Drug Type: | Depressant |
| Other Names: | Beer, wine, liquor, cooler, malt liquor, booze |
| How Consumed: | Orally |
| Effects: | Addiction (alcoholism), dizziness, nausea, vomiting, hangovers, slurred speech, disturbed sleep, impaired motor skills, violent behavior, fetal alcohol syndrome, respiratory depression and death (high doses). |
| Drug Name: | Amphetamines |
| Drug Type: | Stimulant |
| Other Names: | Speed, uppers, ups, hearts, black beauties, pep pills, capilots, bumble bees, Benzedrine, Dexedrine, footballs, biphetamine |
| How Consumed: | Orally, injected, snorted, or smoked |
| Effects: | Addiction, irritability, anxiety, increased blood pressure, paranoia, psychosis, depression, aggression, convulsions, dilated pupils, dizziness, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, malnutrition. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases if injected. |
| Drug Name: | Metamphetamines |
| Drug Type: | Stimulant |
| Other Names: | Speed, meth, crank, crystal, ice, fire, croak, crypto, white cross, glass. |
| How Consumed: | Orally, injected, snorted, or smoked |
| Effects: | Addiction, irritability, aggression, hypothermia, stroke, paranoia, psychosis, convulsions, heart and blood vessel toxicity, hallucinations, arrhythmia, formication (the sensation of insects creeping on or under your skin). |
| Drug Name: | Ecstasy |
| Drug Type: | Stimulants |
| Other Names: | XTC, Adam, MDMA |
| How Consumed: | Orally |
| Effects: | Psychiatric disturbances, including panic, anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Muscle tension, nausea, blurred vision, sweating, increased heart rate, tremors, hallucinations, fainting, chills, sleep problems, and reduced appetite |
| Drug Name: | Ritalin |
| Drug Type: | Stimulant |
| Other Names: | Speed |
| How Consumed: | Tablet is crushed, and the powder is snorted or injected. |
| Effects: | Loss of appetite, fevers, convulsions, and severe headaches. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infections. Paranoia, hallucinations, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks, tremors, muscle twitching. |
| Drug Name: | Herbal Ecstasy/Ephedrine |
| Drug Type: | Herbal Ecstasy, Cloud 9, Rave Energy, Ultimate, Xphoria, and X |
| How Consumed: | Orally |
| Effects: | Increased heart rate and blood pressure. Seizures, heart attacks, stroke, and death. |
| Drug Name: | Designer Drugs |
| Drug Type: | Stimulants |
| Other Names: | Synthetic heroin |
| How Consumed: | Injected, sniffed, or smoked. |
| Effects: | Instant respiratory paralysis. Potency creates strong possibility for overdose, many of the same effects as heroin. |
| Drug Name: | Cocaine |
| Drug Type: | Stimulant |
| Other Names: | Coke, snow, nose candy, flake, blow, big C, lady, white, snowbirds. |
| How Consumed: | Snorted or dissolved in water and injected. |
| Effects: | Addiction, pupil dilation, elevated blood pressure and heart rate. Increased respiratory rate, seizures, heart attack, insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, increased body temperature, death from overdose. |
| Drug Name: | Crack |
| Drug Type: | Stimulant |
| Other Names: | Rock, freebase |
| Effects: | Same as cocaine |
| Drug Name: | Heroin |
| Drug Type: | Opiates |
| Other Names: | Smack, horse, mud, brown, sugar, junk, black tar, big H, dope. |
| Effects: | Addiction. Slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils, droopy eyelids, impaired night vision, nodding off, respiratory depression or failure, dry itching skin, and skin infections. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases if injected. |
| Drug Name: | PCP |
| Drug Type: | Hallucinogens |
| Other Names: | Angel dust, ozone, rocket fuel, peace pill, elephant tranquilizer, dust. |
| How Consumed: | Snorted, smoked, orally, or injected. |
| Effects: | Hallucinations. Out-of-body experiences, impaired motor coordination, inability to feel physical pain, respiratory attack, disorientation, fear, panic, aggressive behavior. Increased risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases if injected. Death. |
| Drug Name: | LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethyl amide) |
| Drug Type: | Hallucinogen |
| Other Names: | Acid, microdot, tabs, doses, trips, hits, sugar cubes. |
| How Consumed: | Tabs taken orally or gelatin/liquid put in eyes. |
| Effects: | Elevated body temperature and blood pressure, suppressed appetite, sleeplessness, tremors, chronic recurring hallucinations. |
| Drug Name: | Mushrooms |
| Drug Type: | Hallucinogens |
| Other Names: | Shrooms, caps, magic mushrooms. |
| How Consumed: | Eaten or brewed and drunk in tea. |
| Effects: | Increased blood pressure, sweating, nausea, hallucinations. |
| Drug Name: | Inhalants |
| How Consumed: | Vapors are inhaled |
| Effects: | Headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, severe mood swings and violent behavior, nausea, nose bleeds; liver, lung, and kidney damage; dangerous chemical imbalances in the body, lack of coordination, fatigue, loss of appetite, decreases in heart and respiratory rates, hepatitis, or peripheral neuropathy from long-term use. |
| Drug Name: | Marijuana |
| Other Names: | Weed, pot, reefer, grass, dope, ganja, Mary Jane, sinsemilla, herb, Aunt Mary, skunk, boom, kif, gangster, chronic, 420. |
| How Consumed: | Smoked or eaten. |
| Effects: | Bloodshot eyes, dry mouth, impaired or reduced comprehension, altered sense of time, reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination --such as driving a car, paranoia, intense anxiety attacks, altered cognition, making acquisition of new information difficult; impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment; difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving. |
| Drug Name: | Steroids |
| Other Names: | Rhoids, juice |
| How Consumed: | Orally or injected into muscle |
| Effects: | Liver cancer Sterility, masculine traits in women and feminine traits in men, aggression, depression, acne, mood swings. |
| Drug Name: | Tobacco |
| Effects: | Addiction, heart disease, cancer of the lung, larynx, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, kidney, and mouth. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight. |
