China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Head and Neck
Published in Adnan Darr, Karan Jolly, Jameel Muzaffar, ENT Vivas, 2023
Hannah Nieto, Theofano Tikka, Adnan Darr, Karan Jolly, Paul Pracy, Vinidh Paleri
History: Onset, periodicity, increase in sizeRed flags: Dysphagia, dysphonia, dyspnoea, odynophagiaPMH: History of salivary calculi/sialadenitisPrevious salivary gland surgeryTrauma, dental workSH: SmokingDrinkingBetel nut chewing
Essential Pharmacology of Abused Drugs
Published in Frank Lynn Iber, Alcohol and Drug Abuse as Encountered in Office Practice, 2020
Many drugs are bases that ionize under acidic conditions and cannot be absorbed by diffusion. Betel nut is such a drug, so it is chewed with alkaline lime to enhance its absorption. Basic drugs ionize in the stomach and will not be absorbed until they reach the alkaline milieu of the small intestine. These drugs include opiates, amphetamines, barbiturates, and some individual members of other drug classes. The pH of the gastrointestinal tract influences the amount and rate of drug absorption.
Adherence in Ethnic Minorities : The Case of South Asians in Britain
Published in Lynn B. Myers, Kenny Midence, Adherence to Treatment in Medical Conditions, 2020
The literature on health attitudes and behaviour among South Asians in Britain is full of contradictory imagery. The community is depicted as knowing little of the concept of screening, and yet on the Indian subcontinent, the determination of foetal gender by amniocentesis is well-known to the point of abuse (Pandya, 1988). The culture is characterised as retrograde with respect to the seclusion of women and yet the support of the extended family system is seen to be beneficial. Overcrowding is used as an indicator of poverty and thereby implicated in poor health, but it has also been noted that the cultural practice of parental-infant bed sharing may limit the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome (Farooqi, 1994). Subgroups of the community are described in terms of “good” and “bad” health practices. For example, alcohol and cigarette consumption is low in Pakistani and Indian females (Ahmad, Kemohan and Baker, 1988) but the habit of betel nut chewing has been implicated in the excess cases of oral cancer found amongst South Asians (Donaldson and Clayton, 1984). Any attempts to generalise about health in general or adherence are further complicated by the confounding of ethnicity with class (Navarro, 1990; LaVeist, 1996). Poor adherence may be as much, if not more, related to structural than to attitude barriers.
Changing pattern of tobacco consumption and quitting behavior in Northeast India
Published in Journal of Substance Use, 2021
Boishali Saikia, Strong P. Marbaniang, Pradeep Kumar, Preeti Dhillon
The prevalence of use of SLT in Northeast India is estimated to range from 39.3% to 86.7% among males, and 23.6% to 87.2% in females. In their study, Singh and Singh mention that betel quid (synonymous with chewing pan or paan) and gutka are known causes of lip cancer, cancer of the esophageal, mouth cancer, and pharyngeal cancer. In Northeast India ‘betel nut’ or ‘betel quid’ is the most widely consumed form of SLT (Singh & Singh, 2016). Its chewing is part of local tradition (Ladusingh & Singh, 2015; Wary & Sharan, 1988). Betel nut is usually chewed with betel leaf and slaked lime. To the Khasis in Meghalaya and the Assamese in Assam, offering a betel leaf with betel nut before serving water or tea is a sign of welcoming a guest (Hauzel, 2017). The Khasis consider betel nut, locally known as kwai, to be a great social leveler. Since even the poor can afford it, it is believed to remove the disparity between the poor and the rich.
Retail Availability and Characteristics of Addictive Areca Nut Products in a US Metropolis
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2021
Currently in the US, ANs are not regulated as a controlled substance and not specifically taxed (Public Health Law Center 2017). The FDA has listed the betel nut in its Poisonous Plants Database (https://www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/index.cfm). The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) website lists betel nut among its emerging trends portal (https://www.drugabuse.gov/emerging-trends). According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), importation of nuts (including betel nuts) may be allowed if free from their husks (the shell remains) (USDA 2014). However, the importation of large quantities of dried, ground AN may be stopped at the discretion of US Customs agents (Public Health Law Center 2017). AN products can be purchased in the US from non-US sellers through online retailers such as eBay.
A Discourse Analysis on Betel Nut Chewing in Hunan Province, China
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2021
However, the betel nut is labeled as the fourth most consumed psychoactive drug after nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine (Cox, Mafaz, and Hans 2016). The World Health Organization (WHO, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2004) regarded it as one of the most prevalent human carcinogens. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the association between the use of the betel nut and the health risks. Thomas and Lennen (1992) discussed the potential cancer risk of betel eating habit. Wen et al. (2010) also found that the interaction of smoking with betel quid chewing may account for half of all cancer deaths in the group that used both. Binns, Wah, and Katie (2011) proposed that betel chewing has detrimental effects on health that are not restricted to the oral cavity, and that the products of betel nuts have the potential to become addictive. Cox, Mafaz, and Hans (2016) and Wei et al. (2017) reviewed the adverse health effects of the areca nut, including hepatocellular carcinoma, oral premalignant and malignant lesions, oral leukoplakia and erythroplakia, oral submucous fibrosis which is related with oral cancer, atrial fibrillation and death, the reproductive system, premature births and lower birth weight. Mehrtash et al. (2017) pointed out the side effects of betel quid and areca nut on oral and esophageal cancers. From the amount of usage, according to Nelson and Heischober (1999), novice betel nut users may have acute sensations of dizziness, vertigo, nausea, and diaphoresis while heavy betel nut users may have auditory hallucinations, delusions, and an acute reversible psychosis.