Heroin and Health Risks

Heroin and health risks associated with its use are common problems for heroin users. These heroin and health risks are felt both in the short term as well as long term. Almost immediately after heroin is used (injected, snorted, or smoked) the effects are felt on the body's central nervous system. 

Short Term Heroin and Health Risks:

Shortly after a person takes heroin they will experience a rush or euphoria. They will feel a warm flushing of their skin, a dry mouth, and the feeling of having "heavy" extremities. After this initial rush, they will begin to "nod" in and out of consciousness. Their mental abilities will be diminished and their breathing rate will slow. 

Long Term Heroin and Health Risks:

Those who abuse heroin for an extended period of time may experience these long term heroin and health risks:

• Infection of the heart lining and valves
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Pulmonary complications

It is important to note that users who inject heroin may have additional long term heroin and health risks including exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne viruses. Approximately 70-80 percent of new Hepatitis C infections in the U.S. each year are the result of injection drug use.

Heroin and health risks of chronic injectors include:

• Scarred or collapsed veins
• Abscesses
• Pneumonia
• Tuberculosis

Heroin and Health Risks: Overdose
Heroin overdose is one of the most serious heroin and health risks that an user may experience. Many illegal drugs are "cut" or diluted with other substances and heroin is no exception. Illegal drugs change hands several times before they are sold to the drug user and are many times diluted to increase profits for dealers. When someone uses heroin, they can never be sure how potent the drug is that they are taking into their body.

Heroin is often mixed with sugar, starch, quinine, strychnine, or other poisons. These additives may induce other potential dangers. Because of the unknown strength and actual contents of the heroin they are taking, users are at great heroin and health risks of overdose and death.

Heroin and Health Risks: Addiction

It is nearly impossible for someone to abuse heroin for an extended period of time and not become addicted. Some people mistakenly believe that by not injecting the drug they escape becoming addicted to it. This is absolutely not true. Those who snort or smoke heroin are just as likely to become addicted and experience severe heroin and health risks of this drug. This is because over time, the user's body begins to develop a tolerance to the drug. They then feel the need to ingest more and more of the drug to achieve the same high they once experienced.

After awhile, the tolerance level to the drug raises to the level that heroin use in any amount stops producing the euphoric effect the user once experienced altogether. When this occurs, the addict continues to seek and take the drug just to feel "normal." Heroin and health risks show that at this point they become physically dependent upon the drug.

Name:
Age:
City:
State:
Phone:
Email:
Seeking Help For:
Gender:
Describe the situation: