Cholinergic blocking drugs
Cholinergic blocking drugs are medicines that can help treat a variety of conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, motion sickness, or irritable bowel syndrome. To understand how they work, let's imagine a playground where different kids are playing. One group of kids is called cholinergic, and they use a special toy (let's say a whistle) to communicate with each other.
Now, imagine there's another group of kids who don't like the cholinergic kids and want to stop them from playing. These kids are the cholinergic blockers - they have a special power to take away the whistle from the cholinergic kids, so they can't communicate anymore.
In the same way, cholinergic blocking drugs in the body can take away a chemical substance called acetylcholine that the cholinergic part of our nervous system uses to talk to different organs and body parts. By taking away acetylcholine, cholinergic blocking drugs can decrease the overactivity of the cholinergic system and help treat conditions such as tremors or muscle stiffness.
However, cholinergic blocking drugs can also have side effects, such as dry mouth or blurry vision, because they don't just block the cholinergic system in specific parts of the body, but all over. Thus, doctors may use these medicines carefully and monitor their effects in different situations.
Now, imagine there's another group of kids who don't like the cholinergic kids and want to stop them from playing. These kids are the cholinergic blockers - they have a special power to take away the whistle from the cholinergic kids, so they can't communicate anymore.
In the same way, cholinergic blocking drugs in the body can take away a chemical substance called acetylcholine that the cholinergic part of our nervous system uses to talk to different organs and body parts. By taking away acetylcholine, cholinergic blocking drugs can decrease the overactivity of the cholinergic system and help treat conditions such as tremors or muscle stiffness.
However, cholinergic blocking drugs can also have side effects, such as dry mouth or blurry vision, because they don't just block the cholinergic system in specific parts of the body, but all over. Thus, doctors may use these medicines carefully and monitor their effects in different situations.