Drug Abuse Often Has a Wide Range of Negative Health Effects
By Space Coast Daily // November 1, 2018
Drug abuse often has a wide range of effects depending on the drug abused, how much of it is taken, and individual’s health, among other factors.
In most cases, the effects are gradual and only noticeable in the latter stages.
Drugs in a way alter the functioning of the brain and change the genetic framework of the person making them over-reliant to the drug and can’t do anything without using the substance continually.
When suffering from drug abuse, understanding the consequences that it may unfold can help you or the people close to you to take the necessary action by seeking help from professionals.
Here are some health effects of drug abuse:
Heart diseases
One of the most devastating effects of using drugs for recreational purposes is the increase in chances of suffering from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Anything concerning the heart is always deemed life-threatening and requires medical attention. If the cause is polysubstance abuse, then the victim’s best chance is by enrolling at a rehabilitation center to get help from highly-qualified professionals and recover fully within the shortest time possible
The liver
The liver is a very delicate and crucial body organ though it’s highly susceptible to the continued use of drugs. Heroin for instance, as well as other inhalant drugs, can cause significant damage to the liver.
If the victim has a polysubstance abuse disorder, which is the combination of multiple drugs, and alcohol abuse, then liver cirrhosis is likely to strike anytime. In many scenarios, combining alcohol with other prescription drugs is a common trend among most addicts all over the world.
Brain disorders
Drug abuse changes the normal functioning of the brain by altering chemicals in the brain that are responsible for pain, mental health, memory, and cognition.
This is the main reason why many addicts suffer from memory loss and often have many mental health issues. Once you’ve started abusing drugs the road to recovery is not an easy one and requires a lot of devotion and resilience to get your life back on track.
Leads to lung cancer
Some substances are administered through smoking, and that increases the chances of getting lung cancer significantly. After a while difficulties in breathing may arise because of restricted lung capacity and in some cases, it can lead to death especially if immediate health care is not administered.
Kidney damage
Ask anyone who’s been through dialysis, and they’ll tell you how stressful and uncomfortable it is. Regular need for dialysis significantly affects your quality of life, and if it was avoidable, you are left regretting the choices you made.
Kidney damage is often a result of the use of heroin and other psychoactive drugs. You might not realize how deep you are until you notice that your body can’t function normally without substance abuse.
There is also alcohol abuse which is very common these days. It usually starts with a little drink with your peers, and that does not have many effects.
However, heavy consumption leads to some chronic health effects like Anemia, Liver Cirrhosis, depression, hypertension, dementia, nerve damage, seizures, cardiovascular diseases (heart attack and stroke), cancer (throat, liver and breast cancer among others) and gout. The risks involved are quite a hand-full, and the best way is to avoid alcohol completely
Drug abuse is widespread and many people especially the youth find themselves wholly submerged in this nightmare.
Continued use of the substances leads to addiction where the victim’s body becomes utterly dependent on them. Failure to use the drug often leads to withdrawal and makes it even harder especially for people trying to turn a new leaf. Drug abuse is a grave phenomenon, and the best thing is to avoid it altogether.
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