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Medical Effects of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is a reality in today's society. Many emergency-room visits are due to the abuse and misuse of various drugs, both legal and illegal. The medical effects of drug abuse can be severe and even fatal. Drugs affect every system in the body, and in many cases, cause damage that is difficult or impossible to reverse. Each drug can affect the body differently. Using more than one drug at time can compound the effects and risks of bodily damage significantly.

  1. Cardiovascular

    • Drug abuse can cause damage to the cardiovascular system. It can cause blood pressure to rise and induce constriction of the arteries. Drug abusers that have pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, irregular heartbeat and other heart conditions are at a greater risk for bodily damage. Drugs that can be purchased on the street, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, may contain dangerous additives that compound the risk of drug use.

    Physical Dependence

    • Drug abusers often develop a physical dependency to their drug(s) of abuse. Dependency is when a person needs the presence of the drug in their body to function. The body can develop a dependence to a drug after one use. If the person abusing the drug does not take it, withdrawal symptoms may occur. Common withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, restlessness, cold sweats and vomiting.

    Liver Complications

    • The liver is responsible for processing and cleansing the blood supply in the body. Drug abuse greatly reduces the ability of the body to perform these functions properly. Long-term abuse of drugs, such as alcohol and heroin, that greatly affect the liver can cause liver-tissue damage. A visual sign of liver damage incurred from drug use is a yellowing of the skin called jaundice.

    Effects On The Brain

    • Drug abuse causes chemical changes in the brain that can make day-to-day functions difficult for users. Most drugs of abuse trigger the brain to release more dopamine than normal. Over time, this can effect how the user senses pleasure, and the brain comes to expect the presence of the drug. The absence of the drug may cause depression in some users. As a result, many drug abusers have extreme difficulty quitting drugs.

    Sedation

    • Drug abuse can cause a person to become lethargic and sedate. This is because the body must work harder to perform normal functions if drugs are present. Drugs that cause extreme stress on the cardiovascular system, such as cocaine and amphetamines, may cause a user to be tired after the drug wears off. Withdrawal symptoms from a drug are often the reverse of the effect of the drug. For instance, amphetamine withdrawal is often characterized by extreme lethargy.

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