Heroin Use Dangers and Treatment

Heroin is a powerful drug that is causing a major issue globally. It is highly addictive and has harmful effects on those who use it. The widespread misuse of heroin, which is illegal and dangerous, causes many problems for both the users and society.

This article discusses heroin use, its ingredients, methods of use, and the harmful effects of misuse. We want to understand why people become addicted to heroin and help those who are struggling with heroin use. We aim to understand the factors that lead to heroin addiction. We also want to highlight treatment options that can help people who are struggling with heroin use.

What Is Heroin?

Heroin, an illegal and highly hazardous substance, ranks among the most frequently abused opioids worldwide. Opioids are drugs used for pain relief, but they are not allowed to be prescribed in the United States. They are classified as opioids. This distinction underscores its dangerous potential and the strict regulations surrounding its use.

Street heroin is usually mixed with harmful substances like black tar heroin, which looks like roofing tar. Dealers often mix the drug with everyday items like sugar, starch, baking soda, caffeine, and powdered milk to make more money. These substances can obstruct blood vessels, leading to irreversible damage. Sometimes, it mixes with strychnine, a pesticide used to kill small birds and rodents, or other dangerous poisons.

What Is Heroin Made From?

Heroin is derived from morphine, a natural opiate obtained from the sap of the opium poppy plant. Opiates like morphine are naturally occurring medications, while opioids are synthetic derivatives. To make heroin from opium poppy liquid, it goes through more chemical processing to become a powerful substance used worldwide.

Effects of Heroin

People who use heroin often experience an initial feeling of euphoria, along with several other common side effects. These include:

• Dry mouth
• Warm flushing of the skin
• Nausea and vomiting
• Heavy feeling in arms and legs
• Severe itching
• Clouded mental function

The long-term effects of heroin use can be severe and impact various bodily functions. These include:

• Insomnia
• Collapsed veins in people who use inject
• Bacterial infections in the blood vessels of injection users
• Infections in the lining and valves of the heart
• Abscesses (inflamed tissue filled with pus or boils)
• Soft tissue infections
• Gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and stomach cramps
• Lung complications (different types of pneumonia and tuberculosis)
• Diseases impacting the liver or kidneys
• Mental health issues like depression and antisocial personality disorder
• Irregular menstrual cycles in females
• Sexual dysfunction in males

Dangers of Heroin Use

Many street-sold heroin varieties contain additives that do not dissolve easily, leading to severe complications. These substances can clog blood vessels that supply vital organs such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain. This blockage can trigger immune responses that may cause arthritis and other severe health issues.

Additionally, the restricted flow of oxygen to tissues can result in cell death within these crucial organs. In severe cases, these conditions can escalate to coma, seizures, and even death.

Despite a decline in the use of syringes for heroin administration, this method remains common. The dangers associated with injecting drugs can be categorized into three primary risks:

Intravascular infections – Infections can develop on the heart valves and spread to other vital organs, such as the lungs. If such an infection reaches the left side of the heart, it can disseminate further throughout the body, affecting multiple systems and organs.

Symptoms at the injection site itself – A needle snapping and getting lodged in the skin or blood vessel. Additionally, skin infections and boils may develop at the site of injection. These conditions can become so severe that they lead to internal bleeding or significant swelling of the skin tissues.

Infectious disease transmission resulting from shared needles and sex with other users that use syringes – The use of shared needles can result in the transmission of lethal viruses such as hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other pathogens carried in the blood.

Heroin Overdose

Recent studies have shown a concerning increase in heroin overdoses, highlighting the risks linked to the drug’s consumption. An opioid overdose can disrupt breathing patterns, leading to decreased oxygen supply to the body. Lack of oxygen can harm the brain and nervous system, leading to coma or permanent brain damage with lasting effects.

Heroin Addiction Treatment at White Oak Recovery Center

Various methods have proven successful in treating heroin addiction with approaches for each person’s specific requirements. These treatments include a combination of medications and behavioral therapies. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has demonstrated advantages in preventing relapses and handling addiction comprehensively.

White Oak Recovery Center provides effective treatment options for both substance use and mental health issues. Explore our medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs and behavioral therapies to discover how they can aid recovery. Contact us now to speak with a treatment specialist at WORC for more information and support to begin your recovery.