Long-Term Effects Of Heroin Use: Key Measures To Tackle Substance Abuse

One of the most concerning parts of abusing a drug is facing the harsh side effects. Many drugs can cause long-lasting effects on our bodies which can later lead to various health risks. Heroin is one of those drugs that can have everlasting impacts on our health. It is one of the most abusive drugs today. Studies suggest that almost 89% of long-term Heroin users can face at least one chronic disease. Why is it so addictive and how long do people suffer from it? We need to get to the bottom of this by understanding the short-term and long-term effects of Heroin use.

Understanding Heroin Use

It is important we first understand Heroin before we get to know how Heroin affects us in the long run. Heroin is heavily regulated and is seen as an illegal drug in many countries. But there are exceptions, like Europe where countries heavily regulate the use of Heroin as an acute painkiller such as diamorphine. It is a part of Heroin-Assisted Treatment which is done in medical settings under the strict supervision of the doctors. In Latin America many countries have decriminalized the possession of heroin up to 5 grams but still heavily control its sale and production. African nations also follow this model but North American and Asian countries strictly prohibit the use of Heroin.

How Does Heroin Work?

Heroin works as a central nervous system depressant which is assisted by many ways in which the drug enters our body. One way to take this drug is by snorting the powder using a paper roll. And the other method is injecting or smoking the liquid made out of black tar Heroin. In both ways the drug is going to act very fast once it enters the system. Heroin crosses the blood-brain barrier first before doing anything else. From here Heroin metabolizes in the liver where it converts into Morphine. This now allows the drug to bind with the μ-opioid receptors in the brain. The person can feel relaxed and euphoric due to the dopamine surge that causes the intense “high” after using Heroin.

How Does Heroin Affect Our Health?

Heroin affects our health in numerous ways and it significantly affects many parts of our body. Some of its effects can be felt right after its use. These are the short-term effects of Heroin use that are quite troublesome even if they are short-lived. Let us get to know these common side effects of Heroin use first before heading to the longer ones.

Short-Term Effects Of Heroin

Using Heroin can target our lungs and heart because it is a CNS depressant. But Heroin affects the brain first because of its quick mechanism. Across these areas of our body and others too, Heroin has a lot of common side effects.

Lungs

• Slow breathing
• Aspiration pneumonia
• Edema
• Bronchospasm

Heart

• Improper heartbeats
• Low blood pressure
• Heart stress
• Bradycardia
• Vasodilation

Brain

• Intense rush
• Sedation
• Confusion
• Impaired thinking
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness

Other areas

• Skin infection
• Heavy and lump limbs
• Weak muscles
• Constipation
• Dry Mouth

Long-Term Effects Of Heroin Use

Medical professionals can treat common effects if reported immediately. But there are high chances that one has not stopped using the drug. In this case Heroin can stay for long in the system and users can suffer from problems that can affect their health. Heroin overdose can affect almost every important area of our body and it is even more dangerous when a female uses this drug during pregnancy. Let us find out what the long-term effects of Heroin use.

Brain

The long-term effects of Heroin use on the brain explain why other organs are also affected by Heroin overdose. Chronic use of this drug can cause structural damage to the brain, both in the white matter and the gray matter. In the white matter, damage to the links between different brain regions affects major functions like decision-making. Heroin causes a reduction of gray matter in many parts of the brain like the temporal lobe and frontal cortex which are responsible for memory and cognitive thinking. Besides these two, hormonal changes and loss of natural dopamine are also seen in the brain during Heroin abuse.

Heart

In the life chamber of our body, Heroin can cause some of the most concerning long-term impacts. One of them is causing an infection in the inner lining of the heart called endocarditis. It can also cause damage to the heart’s function like weakening the heart muscles causing cardiopathy. Also there is a significant change in the size of the pulmonary artery and the right ventricle that makes pumping out deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs very difficult. In a more dangerous instance the uncontrolled drug use can collapse the veins and cause blockage in the blood vessels, thanks to the materials mixed in Heroin.

Lungs

In a study of the National Library on Drug Abuse, smoking Heroin causes a lot of damage to the lungs. Bronchitis is one of the first known causes of the drug that inflames the airways and makes one cough relentlessly. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is another dangerous consequence of constant Heroin use. As per a study in the Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences nearly 55% of Heroin smokers are COPD patients. In this disease a person can develop emphysema and also have a high chance of coma or death.

Liver & Kidney

This is where the Heroin goes through its metabolism, but it can cause irreparable physical effects of Heroin use in overdose. Dangers of cirrhosis are imminent in Heroin use. In cirrhosis, the liver undergoes fibrosis, where scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissues and causes long-lasting damage to the organ. For the kidney, Heroin can raise concerns over the rising levels of blood urea and creatinine that affect the renal function severely. Chronic use of Heroin can also damage the filtering units in the kidneys leading to a permanent failure of the organ in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

Heroin & Pregnancy

This is worth mentioning as studies have shown many instances where there has been Heroin abuse by pregnant mothers. The effects of Heroin use during pregnancy are so dangerous that they should be treated with care and sincerity. This is important to understand because a single use of Heroin endangers not one, but two lives here.

Effects Of Heroin Use on Mothers

Mothers are the immediate victims of the drug as they can instantly come in contact with viral infections like HIV and Hepatitis C. In such cases, the birth of the child has to happen by caesarean method because there will be high chances that the placenta has disconnected from the uterus. Other complications include damage of membranes and malnutrition.

Effects Of Heroin Use On Fetus And Child

A lot of birth defects can be noticed in the newborns due to Heroin abuse by mothers. One of the issues noticed in most of these children are impairment in movement and cognitive abilities that can remain for a long period in time after birth. At birth, children are found to have extremely low weight and lower head circumference and increased malfunctions in vision and hearing. Hyperactive behavior is also noticed in babies in this situation.

Treating Heroin Use Dependence

One has to stop Heroin addiction at the earliest to find relief from these long-term effects of the drug. Let us understand how to get rid of dependence on Heroin step-by-step.

• Consult the doctors immediately when suffering from these harmful consequences.
• Use the medications provided by the professionals to detoxify from drugs like Suboxone and Methadone.
• After detoxification you can start your rehabilitation either in a rehab centre or at your home.
• In rehab the most popular treatment for drug addictions is usually the holistic therapies that include meditation, yoga and other recreational activities that avoid distractions.
• Relapse prevention is a very beneficial treatment that allows both doctors and addicts to find the triggers of dependence and resist the urge through it.
• In case you are at home due to social concerns take up the personalized treatment plan.
• Family therapy is a very important treatment that allows one to reconcile with their closed ones.

Conclusion

Heroin abuse is one of the harshest things one can subject themselves to. It takes up a lot of one’s life and puts their health in irreversible danger. Your brain, lungs, heart, liver and kidneys are some of the essential organs for living. Do not let Heroin damage them and cause lifelong ailments. Abusing Heroin in pregnancy can eventually lead to the death of both the mother and the child. Eliminate Heroin use permanently and let us make our lives better.