Heroin Effects
Heroin Effects
Heroin is an illegal drug in the U.S. that many people use recreationally. Heroin can be snorted through the nose, injected in to the blood stream via syringe, or smoked. This drug has been proven to be one of the most addicting and it can have short-term and long-term effects on the lives of the people who use it.
Almost immediately after using heroin, the user will start to feel a wave of euphoria. The euphoria will make the skin feel warm, arms and legs feel heavy, and cause the mouth to become dry.
Then, after the short euphoria wave, the heroin will make the user feel very drowsy or alert. The drowsy or alert feelings can alternate several times until the short term effects of heroin use wear off.
The use of heroin can suppress the central nervous system, which can cause mental function to become cloudy and slow breathing. The slower breathing can lead to full respiratory failure.
The use of heroin can also cause some serious long-term effects on users. One of these effects is infection. Many users are not cautious of the means by which they get their “fix”. This is especially true for chronic users. Using straws and syringes that have already been used by others can cause Hepatitis C and other infections.
These infections can lead to heart infections, liver disease, and more. 70%-80% of all liver disease cases in the U.S. are caused by drug injection by used syringes.
Other long-term effects on users also include: pulmonary complications, kidney disease, HIV, and AIDS.
Probably the most serious effect on heroin users’ health is overdoses. Overdosing, whether it is purposely or accidentally, can lead to death.
Not only is heroin dangerous by itself, but it is often mixed with other chemicals and products which can make using it even more hazardous. These extra chemicals add to the potency of the illegal drug, and many users are unaware of how potent and dangerous it can be, which usually leads to overdosing.
With repeated use, heroin users will develop an addiction the drug, even if they only snort or smoke the heroin. Over time, heroin addicts become tolerant to the euphoric effects of the drug, which requires them to repeated use more of the drub so they can feel this euphoric effect.
Eventually, it will become impossible for users to regain those “good” feelings. Causing them to only use them drug to become “normal” again and will make them totally depending on the heroin.
Once a user decides to kick the addiction to heroin, they can experience some very extreme withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include: vomiting, muscle and bone pain, restlessness, and craving for heroin.
After a heroin addict stops using the drug, the withdrawal symptoms will usually start to occur and peak about 2 days after they stop using heroin. These severe symptoms of withdrawal can last about a week.
Heroin is an illegal drug in many countries, and the laws against heroin use are strictly reinforced. Using heroin can cause some very serious short-term and long-term effects. All of which can lead to severe illness, infections, viruses, or even death. The addictive qualities of heroin can make users dependent on the drug, making it very hard for a heroin user to stop using it.
