Social media has gone agog with a trending video of the king of Morocco appearing “drunk” in public. The less than 5 seconds video filmed in Paris showed King Mohammed VI on a little staggering walk. While looks can be deceiving, it is vital to understand that certain factors, like the effects of cold medications, could cause similar events in the body. The video can be misleading and falsely interpreted without a proper understanding of various other factors surrounding King Mohammad VI. Firstly, it should be understood sobriety tests typically last for longer than 3 seconds. This help gives a clearer understanding of whether a person is drunk or sober. The short filmed clip cannot prove that from a more logical point of view. Research in pharmacology has shown some side effects of certain medications to cause balance difficulty. Drugs, particularly for a cold, can lead to dizziness and lightheadedness. These familiar feelings are usually mistaken to mean a drunken state.
King of Morocco
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Like many world leaders, the monarch came down with symptoms of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to more recent surgical interventions for heart problems, King Mohammed VI has some health concerns that require some medications. Medications are usually life-saving and have various systemic therapeutic effects. However, drugs also come with a risk of side effects and other drug-body interactions. One recurring side effect of medicines is their potential impairment of balance and coordination. The documented side effects are blurred vision, dizziness or lightheadedness, and impaired alertness.
These effects increase the risk of falls. Dizziness, especially lightheadedness, is not only a global problem but also a near epidemic. However, many people are unaware of its similarities with what they perceive as a drunken state.
One can logically deduce a possibility of medicinal side effects as opposed to drunkenness as the reason for the highly revered monarch’s staggering.
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Taking many medications for different illnesses can boost the severity and frequency of side effects among people of any age. King Mohammed VI has to deal with Covid recovery and preventing heart diseases. Thus, it is excusable he takes medications to protect himself.
One can also see the unstable climate conditions in Paris could increase the need for cold medication. Scientific research has shown relations between these cold medications and fall risks.
It is also quite improbable that, given the effects of any action, the king can walk around the streets of Paris in a drunken state. The video captured a moment of slight balance failure on the king, not the purported drunken behavior in public.
Making hasty conclusions based on a short video may be misleading about one of the world’s most revered leaders. With a few health conditions that could require the intake of medications, the staggering walk by the monarch cannot only happen because of being drunk. The strain of leadership can affect health. After two recent heart surgeries and a bout of Covid 19, king Mohammed VI is required to take medications that can potentially mislead people to think a minor balance problem is the same as a drunken act in a foreign nation.
References
How medications can affect your balance – Harvard Health
Dizziness Can Be a Fatal Side Effect of Many Medications – Scientific American
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