Pain-killer and other stuff (1)
Peter Wu & Others
17 October 2012
Peter: I read an article from a
medical periodical (see attachment) .
This modern world is certainly different to the one I was
brought up with.
Modern phenomenon one: The pervasive use of pain-killers.
My work, and many other work places, have long stopped
stocking pain-killer in the first aid kit because they simply disappear in a
flash. Many people I know of routinely carry pain-killers in their handbags or
suitcases.
Even more are using pain-killers as a quick-fix for
everything instead of seeking treatment for the root cause.
Why is it that the use of pain-killers
have become so common? Are people getting more aches and pains over the
years?
Is the pace of live getting so quick and stressful that
people have to resort to pharmaceutical assistance? Is our ability to cope with
stress diminishing?
Modern phenomenon two: The use of stimulants leg and
illegal. Just as cigarette smoking is under threat of being uncool and phased
out, other stimulants are taking its place – energy drinks and coffees,
amphetamine, Cocaine and party pills. Instead of seeing a picture of Humphrey
Bogart smoking a cigarette, we are more likely seeing Lindsay Lohan snorting a line of Cocaine.
Why is the use of stimulants has
become so common?
Do we work so hard that it needs some extra ‘help’?
Is it because it is fashionable to be seen drinking a
Latte, a long black, a Mocha or Cappuccino?
Modern phenomenon three –
the rise and rise of adrenalin sports. The faster, more
death-defying, mind-boggling, and adrenalin-pumping it is, the bigger the
audience it attracts. The jumping back to earth from the edge of space by Felix
Baumgartner has attracted a bigger audience than the London Olympics.
Bungee-jumping these days is nothing. It is eclipsed by
BASE jumping. The number of people queuing up to scale the highest peak in the
Himalayas is so ho-hum that it’s like a leisurely walk up Lion Rock.
Everything is becoming more extreme. Why is this so? Are
we as human beings becoming more extreme?
Have we got something to prove to ourselves or to brag to
fellow human beings? Are the ordinary everyday things like a stroll in the park
or swimming a few laps in the pool no longer appeal?
Just thinking about these things gives me a headache so I
better take another BIG handful of pain-killers, washed down by a
super-sized Latte, a Red Bull and a bottle of Cognac of course! Oh, a pipe of
Opium too.
Stella: Excellent
observations Peter! As to why, who knows, humans are always seeking new boundaries , I guess.
Bob: "Seeking
new boundaries" sounds fine and dandy if we are talking about the
development in science, arts, technology and other humanities, but I think what
Peter Wu was referring to has got more to do with self-indulgence,
thrill-seeking, chemical abuse and disregard of the environment... behaviours that are more appropriately described as
"suicidal"!
Metis: I try very hard to avoid
taking painkillers, maybe because I have a high pain threshold. My GP however
always prescribes quite strong painkillers as he thinks I shouldn't have to
suffer. This is a view shared by most people these days. One should be
pain-free, carefree, trouble free and happy most of the time if you can help
it. That's why so many people reach for Seroxat or
Prozac.
But mind you, work has
become more demanding and we seem to be working harder and longer hours now. In
the early 80's when I was working at Birmingham U and the Poly, work life is
much more relaxing. My prof used to take us out for long `liquid' lunch from 12
till 2.30. By the time, we were back at the office,
it's time for me to pack up to pick up my sons from school!
Coming up to the 90's, the
screws were tightening. We lost our long summer holidays, teaching load got
heavier. After the invasion of the MBAs into the education section, there were
yearly mission statements and reviews to be written, tons of unnecessary
paperwork to be completed every week. By the time I retired, the whole
education sector was cutting staff left right and centre.
We were all doing one and half person's job.You need extra adrenaline to cope with the work load so people
reach for the stimulants. And of course, the press and commercials are tempting
people to try all these fashionable drinks and pills.
It's not just work that's
becoming more competitive. Tiger mums and dads are pushing their offsprings to be super kids. Have you read about that silly
Chinese dad who tried to get his infant sons and daughters to climb Mt Fuji?
People are all going for one-upmanship to be noticed, to get recognition and be
famous.
I'm glad I'm no longer in
the rat race.
Peter: Dead right. Much of these
self-indulgence, thrill-seeking, dare-devilling and abuse of the environment
would not have been possible without the use of social media of which Twitter,
Facebook, Youtube, blogging are key parties.
I call this Modern Phenomenon four.
Nothing
beats seeing something being done on Youtube. That
not only spawns copy-cat activities, but bigger and more daring (sometimes
stupid) copy cats.
The
power of social media derives from wide-spread connectivity and instantaneity. Its transcends distance and space so bypassing geo-political
barriers and sanctions. Had another Tiananmen incident occurred now, I am
pretty certain the outcome would have been very different.
附文
Panadol - 必理痛
(摘至健康雜誌）Panadol = Tylenol –JL
親愛的朋友：你知道嗎？吃一個必理痛會殘留在身體五年
先前有一個空姐，因為每次月經來就會疼痛不已，但又礙於工作必須經常性的站立，只好每個月都吃必理痛解經痛，沒想到才將近三十歲的年紀，就開始洗腎了。
當你看完這篇報導，千萬不要掉以輕心，又再亂服成藥！最好還是去醫院看病或做婦科的檢查，要記住喔！並且告訴你的朋友，我一個叔公在美國的大藥廠擔任 資深研發博士他從來都不吃必理痛的，因為真的很傷肝（但是肝是沒痛覺神經的）。他說美國人頭痛都吃亞司匹靈ASPIRIN ∼因為它所含的水楊酸會使將血管擴張∼使血液流暢 ....經證實它還可以防腸癌。亞司匹靈 ASPIRIN的唯一缺點是對有胃病的人有影響（因血管擴張，會使胃潰瘍加劇∼ ) 所以我每次看到必理痛的廣告就很反感∼
大家有看過最近必理痛的廣告嗎？
有個爸爸感冒不吃藥，原因是因為吃藥有副作用，但是媽媽說，必理痛不含阿司匹靈，不傷胃。雖然整個廣告沒說到必理痛沒副作用，但是這個廣告還是有很大的問題，會讓人家以為必理痛沒副作用，必理痛雖然不傷「胃」，但是卻傷『肝』（因含有乙醯、 苯酚，故傷肝）。 小孩吃太多可能會引起「猛暴性肝炎」，而有肝炎的病人更是禁吃，尤其是B 型肝炎剛感染的時候，有點像感冒，有些人就會吃必理痛，但是這是很不好的喔，會使你的GOP、GPT都昇高很多，所以藥是不能亂吃的~~
市面上各大品牌的感冒藥及止痛藥都有副作用，某些品牌的副作用傷腎，有些品牌的傷肝。大多數的止痛藥都會傷肝，西藥則幾乎都傷腎。這是很嚴重的，我身邊的朋友，就有這種親身經歷。
一顆膠囊。七處灼傷...... 嚴重吧！
不是食道受傷後改用喝的，就會不痛哦！ 那是連呼吸，吞口水，都非常痛的！
很多人因為感冒，所以在服用膠囊時都使用溫熱水，但不知若膠囊無順利到達胃，那是會很嚴重的。快快修正你的服藥觀念哦！
我朋友的醫生教她應要如此做，膠囊可以第一個吃，用冷水吞服，吞完最後一顆時，應要再多喝一些水，在睡前30分鐘就先服藥，服完忌立即躺下，比較安全哦！
轉述：日前我服用消炎膠囊時，因飲水量不夠使膠囊附著在食道上，而造成食道嚴重灼傷，六天以來只能靠冰鮮奶和開水度日，還要住院治療五天，醫生更警告如再延誤就醫有可能惡化為食道穿孔，請大家不可忽視。
服用膠囊類藥物時要注意：
1.
千萬不可飲用溫水 / 熱水 / 果汁/ 含糖類飲料，正確是飲用冷水；冰開水...
2.
如服用後感覺喉嚨內有食道嚴重灼傷，六天以來只能靠冰鮮奶和開水度日，還要住院治療五天，醫生更警告如再延誤就醫有可能惡化為食道穿孔，請大家不可忽視。
3.
服用時應站直或坐直，不要一服用完就馬上躺下
-To be continued-