What Is Aerophagia?
Aerophagy (from Greek: ἀρχήγος; aeros = breath) is the act of eating or drinking something other than air such as food, liquids, or gaseous substances. Most commonly, it refers to ingesting liquid oxygen through breathing. However, some have suggested that it could refer to ingesting solid gases such as helium or hydrogen.
There are two main types of aerophagy: gastroparesis and pulmonary oedema. Gastroparesis refers to a condition where one cannot eat or drink anything because their stomach is unable to produce enough acid for digestion. Pulmonary oedema refers to fluid buildup in the lungs due to excessive gas exchange with the surrounding environment.
Gastroparesis is a life threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. If left untreated, it may lead to death. For example, if someone’s stomach was removed so they couldn’t breathe, then they would die from respiratory failure.
Similarly, if someone had a hole drilled into their throat so they couldn’t swallow or breathe normally, then they would die from choking on their own vomit or blood loss due to lack of oxygenation in the brain.
What Is the Difference Between Eating Air and Swallowing Air?
Eating air is different from swallowing air. Most human beings eat air when they yawn without even realizing it. You can also eat air by drinking soda or eating chips because of the bubbles inside them. Sometimes, people might mistake breathing with eating or drinking, such as when they eat a bar of chocolate and lick their lips afterwards. However, eating air is not quite the same as swallowing air.
Why Do People Swallow Air?
There are many reasons why people swallow air. For example, eating or drinking too quickly can result in too much air getting into your throat. If you’re not chewing food properly, then more air can get into your stomach, which is then digested like it normally would be.
Eating too quickly can also be a side effect of various eating disorders. The most common of these is binge eating, followed by bulimia and compulsive overeating. A less common reason for this is pharyngeal swallowing, which refers to the automatic response that causes one to swallow without even realizing it.
Another cause is sublimation, which refers to the act of converting an unconscious desire or need into an observable bodily reaction.
What Is Sniffing?
Sniffing is the act of drawing air into the nose for the purpose of smelling a certain substance. Most people think that sniffing is limited to solids and liquids, but this isn’t always the case. For example, some people like to sniff spray paint or other aerosol products.
There are also various gases that people can sniff for recreational or medical purposes. The most common of these is nitrous oxide or laughing gas. Other forms of medical inhalants include oxygen, aerosol sprays, and anesthesia.
What Is Snorting?
Snorting is the act of drawing solid drugs or pills up into the nose through the nostrils for the purpose of deriving pleasure from them. The most common reasons that people snort drugs are because it takes effect more quickly or gives them a more intense high than if they were to take it orally.
What Dangers Are Associated with Snorting?
Snorting drugs can be extremely dangerous, especially because it sends the substance dangerously close to sensitive internal organs like the heart and brain. It can also lead to serious health conditions like a perforated septum or chronic nosebleeds. People with allergies or breathing issues are much more susceptible to breathing problems or anaphylactic shock from snorted substances. Finally, people can inadvertently overdose by using too much of a substance or combining it with other drugs.
Is It Possible to Ingest Drugs by Other Means than Inhaling or Swallowing?
It is possible to take drugs through the skin if they are in solid form and have a low enough molecular weight. Most prescription medications are designed to be taken this way, although most illegal drugs aren’t. People can also inhale or ingest drugs topically, in the form of liniments, balms, or soothing creams, but these don’t tend to have a very strong effect.
What Are the Consequences of Swallowing Drugs?
As stated before, swallowing drugs can have extremely serious consequences depending on what kind of substance it is and the amount that was ingested. In worst-case scenarios, it can lead to coma or death.
What Are Ingesting Drugs Made of?
Most substances that are ingested are made up of a combination of active ingredients, binders, and fillers. Active ingredients are the parts that provide the desired effect, while binders hold the substance together and fillers make up the rest of the mass so that it’s not too watery.
What Happens When You Ingest Drugs?
When a drug is ingested, it’s transferred to the digestive system where it eventually passes through into the liver before being filtered by the kidneys and excreted out of the body.
How Do Drugs Affect People With Different Body Types?
The effects of drugs on people will vary depending on a number of factors, which include weight, age, overall health, and even genetics. It’s important to remember that different people may have very different reactions to using the same substance. For this reason, it’s always best to avoid taking drugs if possible.
What Happens to Drugs When the Liver Filters Them?
When the liver filters a drug, it attempts to turn it into a substance that can be gotten rid of easily. Some drugs, like alcohol, are turned into water-soluble substances that can be easily passed through urine. Others, like cocaine, are turned into oils that can also be passed through the body fairly quickly.
Are All Drugs Hepatoxic?
No, not all drugs are hepatoxic, or toxic to the liver. However, it is important to remember that while most drugs that are hepatoxic are not necessarily life-threatening to a healthy person, they can be over time and with extended use.
What Does Dehydration Cause?
Dehydration occurs whenever the body loses more fluid than it takes in, which includes water as well as other liquids. It can be caused by a number of different factors, including excessive sweating, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. In most cases of dehydration, the loss of fluids is greater than the loss of electrolytes, which are minerals which help the body perform certain functions.
What Is the Safest Way to Cure a Hangover?
The only surefire way to cure a hangover is time. Drinking a lot of water or sports drinks while you’re drinking will help prevent dehydration. Drinking coffee or taking a nap will help you feel better faster. Eating when you wake up will also help your body recover.
How Are Drugs Metabolized?
When a drug is ingested, it’s absorbed by the stomach and intestines before passing into the bloodstream and being transported to the liver. Here, it’s metabolized, or changed so that it can be excreted from the body. Some drugs are toxic to the liver, which can cause liver damage over time.
What Can Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Damage?
Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in products like Tylenol. It’s sold over the counter and commonly used to treat pain and reduce fevers. It can damage or destroy your liver, even if you take the recommended dosage. In 2013, the FDA even required acetaminophen packages to have a warning telling users that the drug can cause serious liver damage.
What Is Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin)?
Acetylsalicylic acid, also known as Aspirin, is a drug commonly used to treat pain, reduce fevers, and reduce the risk of blood clots. While it’s useful for treating many conditions, it’s important to remember that Aspirin can cause stomach bleeding and other serious side effects if not taken properly.
What Can Happen When You Consume Alcohol?
Alcohol is probably the most common recreational drug in the world. It’s legal for people over the age of 21 in the United States, though it’s heavily regulated. Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and digestive tract. From there, it affects almost every organ in the body. It makes you sleepy, red blood cells, messes with your liver, and messes with your brain.
What Are Barbiturates?
Barbiturates are a class of drugs commonly used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. They’re also known as “downers,” because they calm you down and make you sleepy. While barbiturates have many legitimate uses, they can be very dangerous when misused or abused.
What Is Butalbital?
Butalbital is the generic name for a group of drugs commonly known as Fioricet or Fiorinal. These drugs combine several ingredients, including the active drug butalbital, which is a type of barbiturate. These types of drugs are used to treat headaches, although they can be misused.
What Happens When You Take Caffeine?
Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world. It’s found naturally in things like coffee beans and tea leaves, and it’s also added to other products like soda and headache remedies. Consuming too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, restlessness, and permanently elevated stress levels.
What Is Cocaethylene?
Cocaethylene is created when the active ingredient in cocaine, which is called cocaine hydrochloride or simply “crack,” is mixed with the active ingredient in alcohol, which is called ethanol. Cocaethylene is a dangerous byproduct of these drugs that causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. It can also lead to seizures and psychosis.
What Are Depressants?
Depressants are a class of drugs that slow down your brain and body. This class of drugs includes prescription drugs like benzodiazepines, which include drugs like Valium and Xanax, as well as illegal drugs like Rohypnol, also known as “roofies.” All of these drugs can lead to addiction and complications like slowing or stopping breathing.
What Are Hallucinogens?
Hallucinogens are a class of drugs that cause you to see and hear things that aren’t there. This class of drugs includes drugs like LSD, also called acid, as well as other “designer” drugs. Using hallucinogens can lead to psychological dependence and serious health complications like depression, anxiety, and even psychosis.
What Is Marijuana?
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a plant-based drug that contains psychoactive chemicals. There are more than 400 chemicals in cannabis. These chemicals, called cannabinoids, interact with receptors in the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, appetite, pain, and hormone production.
What Is MDMA?
MDMA is the popular name for ecstasy, which is a recreational drug. It’s a stimulant and a psychedelic, and it’s closely related to other research chemicals like MDA and MDEA. It produces stimulant-type effects such as increased energy, reduced appetite, and heightened sensations. It also produces psychedelic-type symptoms like enhanced mood and empathy. However, it can also produce negative effects like nausea, anxiety, confusion, and difficulty concentrating.
What Is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It’s typically prescribed for conditions like ADHD and obesity, but it’s rarely prescribed due to its potential for abuse. Common street names include chalk, crank, and meth. It’s similar to amphetamine, but it’s much stronger and more harmful. It can lead to aggression, psychosis, anxiety, insomnia, teeth grinding, and loss of sexual function.
What Is GHB?
GHB stands for gamma-hydroxybutyrate, also known as liquid ecstasy or liquid E. This is a CNS depressant that was originally used in the 1960s as a treatment for sleep disorders. Today, it’s mostly used as a date-rapist drug, and it’s known to cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, and even death at high doses.
What Is Heroin?
Heroin is an illegal opioid drug that was developed as a painkiller in the 1800s. It works by binding to your opioid receptors and can produce euphoria, sleep, respiratory depression, and lack of pain sensation. It has a high potential for abuse and addiction, and it can lead to fatal respiratory problems.
What Is LSD?
LSD, also called acid, is a psychedelic drug that was first created in 1938. It works by binding to serotonin receptors in your brain, which can lead to things like hallucinations, “trips,” and outsized emotions and fears. It’s typically taken as a liquid on sugar cubes, soaked in blotter paper, or added to liquid and taken with a dropper. It’s not known to be addictive, but it can lead to things like difficulty concentrating, long-term mental illness, and even death.
What Is PCP?
Phencyclidine, more commonly known as PCP, is a dissociative drug that was used for anesthesia until the 1960s. It’s typically either inhaled or taken orally. It was taken off the market due to it causing users to become aggressive or catatonic. Since then, it’s widely been used as a recreational drug due to producing symptoms like numbness and loss of coordination. Other side effects include things like coma and death.
What Is Salvia?
Salvia is a drug that comes from the herb Salvia, which has been used for centuries in religious rituals. The active compound in it is also called salvinorin A, and it’s a powerful hallucinogen. Ingesting it can lead to things like hallucinations, loss of coordination, and out-of-body experiences. It’s typically smoked or taken as a pill.
Salvia is an extremely potent drug with serious risks. It’s known to cause people to have terrifying experiences, and it’s often compared to using hard drugs like heroin. It’s been known to cause adolescents to become suicidal, and it can lead long-lasting psychological issues.
Salvia is categorized as a “Dissociative” drug.
What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a medication that was initially used as a anesthetic, but it was taken off the market due to high abuse potential. It’s typically injected, smoked, or snorted. It can lead to symptoms like hallucinations, sedation, paralysis, and confusion. Long-term consequences can include urinary problems and bladder pain.
Salvia is a dangerous drug with serious risks. While it’s not known to be addictive, it can lead long-lasting psychological issues and it’s typically avoided by most recreational drug users.
What Is Opium?
Kratom is a drug that’s common in Southeast Asia, where it grows naturally. The active ingredient in it is called Mitragynine, and it acts similarly to opioids. It’s typically taken orally, or in a tincture that’s taken sublingually (placed under the tongue). It can lead to effects like sedation, happiness, slowed breathing, and decreased pain.
Sources & references used in this article:
Behavioral treatment of chronic belching due to aerophagia in a normal adult by JA Cigrang, CM Hunter, AL Peterson – Behavior modification, 2006 – journals.sagepub.com
Behavioral treatment of chronic aerophagia. by RP Barrett, JJ McGonigle, PK Ackles… – American journal of …, 1987 – psycnet.apa.org
Management of belching, hiccups, and aerophagia by JB Hwang, JS Kim, BH Ahn, CH Jung, YH Lee, S Kam – Journal of Korean medical …, 2007
Aerophagia and gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients using continuous positive airway pressure: a preliminary observation by AJ Bredenoord – Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2013 – Elsevier
