When people think about heroin, first of all, there are images of metal spoons and syringes used for its use, but few people know that this drug is also sniffed. This method of using diacetylmorphine is a practice that entails as serious risks and side effects as intravenous administration. In addition to the fact that the use of this drug in general greatly affects human health, it also makes it more susceptible to any infectious diseases.
In this article, we will talk about the consequences caused by heroin use, and also learn how to recognize signs of drug addiction and where to go to get rid of a terrible and deadly habit.
Preamble
Before we get to know all the symptoms of heroin drug use, the consequences and manifestations of an overdose, it is necessary to understand why it attracts an incredible amount of people around the world.
Diacetylmorphine is a very powerful painkiller. Due to its chemical composition, heroin is able to overshadow the production of endorphins, which are the pain-relieving hormones produced by the body. Heroin users often report that after using even a small dose, they feel warm in the body. This makes diacetylmorphine one of the most enjoyable drugs in the world. However, heroin is also the most dangerous and illegal in the world. Strong addiction to this substance wreaks havoc on the human body and mind, every day it takes thousands of lives around the world. Let's find out all the consequences, symptoms of an overdose of heroin and the only way to treat it.
Scientifically
What are the long-term effects of heroin use? Repeated use of diacetylmorphine at the cellular level alters the physiology of the brain and the general condition of the person, creating long-term imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that are not so easy to suspend.
Studies have shown that changes in the brain and white matter due to heroin use can affect decision making, the ability to regulate and control one’s own behavior, and to respond to stressful situations.
It is important to understand that the consequences of heroin use are developing withdrawal symptoms that can appear within a few hours after taking the next dose of diacetylmorphine. There are also symptoms of withdrawal from the substance, such as anxiety and anxiety, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold sweat with trembling in the body. The main symptoms of withdrawal symptoms appear within 24-48 hours after the last dose of heroin, and they disappear after about a week. It is logical that the more often a person consumes this substance, the longer his period of departure from it. In some people, withdrawal symptoms may be followed for several months.
The effects of heroin are such that diacetylmorphine causes intense attachment. A substance makes a person dependent, and it does not matter at all how it is administered (intravenously or nasally). After people come across this drug, their vital goal, the main and most important, is to find and use this substance.
Why are people attracted to this drug?
Heroin can be consumed in several ways. While intravenous administration is the most common method, sniffing has become more popular in recent years due to the increasing availability of cleaner diacetylmorphine.
The misconception about the nasal use of this substance made many people use it. Some are convinced that a person cannot become addicted to heroin if he just sniffs it. But nasal drug use causes the same irreversible effects, as if you were injecting it intravenously.
Why do people sniff or inject themselves with this substance
The main consequences after heroin are the destruction of brain cortex cells. At the same time, we repeat again, no matter what method diacetylmorphine will enter the body - through the nose or directly into the blood, it will still entail serious health consequences.
For example, those people who inhale heroin begin to feel different after 10-15 minutes, and during intravenous administration, the drug causes euphoria after 8 seconds.
Of course, the nasal use of the substance is less dangerous. If only because the intravenous use of heroin is much more likely to cause an overdose and acquisition of viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis. But the smell of diacetylmorphine can so weaken the immune system that a person becomes vulnerable to infection with these diseases.
Signs that a person inhales a drug
If you sniff heroin, the consequences will be visible almost immediately. After the first use, you can encounter redness of the skin on the face and the appearance of a constant runny nose. Other clear signs of nasal use of diacetylmorphine include:
- Nasal congestion.
- Frequent nosebleeds.
- Increased tearing of the eyes.
- Small pupil size.
- Sharp mood swings.
In addition, if you suspect a person that he is using heroin nasally, then look for a white powdery substance or drug paraphernalia. Often, for example, you can find banknotes covered with a white residue.
A person can also use eye drops to get rid of the redness and irritation of the mucosa caused by the use of heroin.
Side effects of nasal use
In 2013, the British scientific journal BMJ published the results of a study that showed what consequences after using heroin await those who sniff it. In addition to the fact that after a while it begins to destroy the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity, while eating small pieces of food or drinks can create a characteristic burning sensation.
In other words: heroin can cause the tissue to separate the nasal passages to break down. Small holes will appear in it, into which food will fall.
In addition, a person who uses heroin has:
- frequent nosebleeds;
- a feeling of constant dryness in the mouth and throat;
- damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and brain;
- the development of mental illness;
- heavy addiction.
Consequences of heroin: overdose with nasal use
Some people who use diacetylmorphine falsely believe that smoking and sniffing this substance can not cause serious consequences, because they do not inject it directly into the blood. However, a study published in the journal Forensic Science International found that any use of heroin can reduce the tolerance of this substance and increase the risk of overdose.
An overdose of diacetylmorphine is expressed in slowing the heart rate and respiration to a dangerous level. The addict has lethargy, drowsiness, developing into a stupor, an unconscious state, the pulse is palpated weakly. He may fall into a coma. An overdose of heroin can lead to loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest or death. These, of course, are the most extreme consequences, but even if a person does not die, the substance will still cause irreparable harm to health, expressed by dementia, decreased libido, vascular sclerotization, and the development of serious diseases of the liver, heart and lungs.
Some people play with fate by mixing two drugs together - diacetylmorphine and cocaine. In certain circles, this “cocktail” is called a speedball. The mixture enhances the properties of each substance and can lead to severe intoxication, heart attack, overdose and death.
People who use heroin nasally can get hooked on a needle
The National Institute for the Study of Drug Abuse (NIDA) conducted a series of trials and proved that a person who sniffed or smoked diacetylmorphine is at risk of switching to an intravenous use of this substance. In addition, he has an increased chance of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
The latter disease is much more often transmitted through injections of the substance. Many people who inject heroin or other drugs become infected with hepatitis C. The virus can spread through needle exchange, blood transfusion, and sexual contact.
Optimal treatment
Addiction is one of the most serious consequences of taking heroin. Many people trying to overcome heroin addiction prefer to detoxify their body without medical supervision. But they do not know how to manage a rather painful withdrawal syndrome, which always occurs in those who abruptly stop using diacetylmorphine.
The best way to overcome heroin addiction is to look for clinics for drug treatment. Rehabilitation centers provide around-the-clock monitoring and offer effective medications that alleviate the symptoms of heroin withdrawal. These advantages make the process of getting rid of addiction safer and more comfortable. After the treatment is complete, clients can start psychological therapy and visit support groups to learn how to live a healthy life without heroin.
Short-term use
The consequences of heroin (you can see the photo of the narcotic substance below) are always deplorable. First, a person who smokes or injects is faced with a short period of intense pleasure called “rush”. This sensation is accompanied by a state of physical relaxation. A “buzz” usually lasts from three to four hours.
Heroin slows breathing, muscles relax, a feeling of warmth and euphoria appears. In this state, any problems that disturb the person are dissolved.
As the effect of diacetylmorphine dissipates, the addict begins to feel irritation, anxiety, and he shows signs of withdrawal - pain in the bones and muscles, vomiting, and diarrhea. Depression from this drug is a frequent consequence of heroin poisoning and a signal of growing addiction. For many people, the only way to get rid of all this and restore a sense of relaxation and euphoria is to use another dose of the substance again.
This whole procedure does not take much time to make a heroin addict out of a simple person who decided to “just try”. It is important that over time he will have to take more and more substance in order to again face euphoria, and its duration will become shorter.
Long term effects
Diacetylmorphine addiction has a price, and it is quite high. There are a lot of physical consequences from heroin - an overdose (a photo of a person with an addiction you will find below), impaired brain activity, destruction of the skin, and also:
- Constant drug use causes the brain to decrease or stop the production of its own endorphins. When this happens, the addict's body becomes barely able to control some pain or discomfort. This inability is especially aggravated by the removal of diacetylmorphine from the body, which makes recovery or detoxification particularly difficult. Once heroin has been completely eliminated, the brain usually starts producing endorphins again. However, recovery from the damaging effects of the drug on the brain can take years.
- Diacetylmorphine leads to diseases of the liver, heart, impaired blood pressure, pulmonary problems, disruption of the digestive tract, weight loss and weakening of veins, arteries and blood vessels. There is also a huge risk of infection, especially for those who inject heroin through a common needle. Most people who have AIDS and hepatitis C are infected in this way.
Heroin greatly affects the development of mental illness and disorders in humans. Therefore, drug addicts often cannot concentrate on something, learn something new or simply formulate a clear thought. Personal relationships are foreign to them, because heroin makes a person apathetic, indifferent to everything except the desire to get the next dose. But worst of all, diacetylmorphine causes extremely irresponsible and self-destructive behavior, especially among those who consume it constantly. Addicts are prone to aggression and criminal acts to get the next dose.
Finally
It is important to understand that it is impossible to cure a person of heroin addiction in a short period. It is necessary to contact specialized clinics that provide the necessary assistance and support. But the treatment does not end there. A person must clearly realize that drugs can only lead to one thing - death.
But it’s not enough just to be aware of the consequences of using heroin. Even one dose - the first and only in life - can become fatal and destructive. So why poison yourself with a powerful substance and try it if it can neither solve problems, nor maintain health, or restore human relations?