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The Physical Signs of Abuse of Heroin

In 2008, 3.8 million Americans reported using heroin at least once, according to the Office of National Drug Control. While all illegal drugs carry health risks, the unhygienic administration and highly addictive nature of heroin make the drug particularly toxic. The withdrawal process is both painful and debilitating. The health effects of heroin use appear quickly and increase steadily over time. However, the physical manifestations of heroin abuse emerge long before other complications or contracted diseases appear.

  1. Needle Marks

    • Severe heroin addicts are likely to use intravenous and intramuscular injections of heroin which provide the fastest rush. The highly addictive nature of the drug requires injections every few hours to avoid withdrawal. Aggressively administering injections, often with unclean needles, causes dark purple splotches at the injection sites, signaling bruised veins and muscle tissue. Addicts may also conceal their addiction by injecting heroin in between toes or the sides of feet.

    Respiratory Difficulties

    • Heroin addicts often exhibit intense periods of shallow breathing immediately after administering a shot of heroin. Not surprisingly, heroine severely irritates internal muscle and organ tissue, regardless of whether the drug is inhaled or injected. Addicts become susceptible to respiratory infections such as pneumonia due to their suppressed immune system and irritated lung lining. Over time, heroin use can cause infection in the lining of the lungs, liver and kidneys.

    Eyes

    • Dilated pupils and glassy eyes are a classic physical sign of opiate abuse, often seen in heroin addicts. A healthy person's pupils dilate in the dark to access more light and shrink in the light. A heroin addicts eyes are often pin-point constricted even in the dark and dilate when the previous administration of heroin begins waning. The long-term user of heroin will exhibit increasingly erratic pupil dilation and constriction as the time between injections decreases.

    Hot and Cold

    • Each injection of heroin accelerates the heart rate, resulting a pink flush of the face and limbs. While some addicts become hyper after a rush, others become more subdued and further removed or isolated. Clammy skin and shivering often replace the flush of warmth as the rush begins declining. Feeling cold or convulsing are also the beginning signs or withdrawal that can occur just a few hours after a heroin injection.

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