The Price Cocaine Exerts On The Sinus

Published May 19, 2010

People who shoot or snort cocaine pay a high price, literally. Once the substance reaches the street, it’s price per gram had already catapulted to 1000 times its original price. But that’s not the only price they have to pay. Users also create irreversible damage to their bodies, specifically to their nasal tissues.

Effects of Cocaine Use to Nasal Tissues and Sinuses

Insufflation, colloquially referred to as sniffing, snorting, or blowing, is the most common method of ingesting cocaine. This method is considered the safest – by the standards of cocaine use – and the most effective in terms of absorption. Via the nasal mucus membranes, 30% to 60%, depending on the quality, purity and dosage of the drug, is absorbed readily into the body. This creates immediate, short-term euphoria alongside sinus and nasal diseases.

Usually, the mucosal lining of the nasal passages and the sinuses are the parts that receive the worst blows. The fine particles of cocaine are lodged within the sinuses or are trapped by the small, hair-like structures of the mucosal lining called cilia, eventually damaging these structures. It is therefore very possible for cocaine users to develop sinus problems that are beyond the capacity of any known treatment methods.

Common complaints of cocaine users include the following:

– Nasal crusting and scabbing,

– Nasal drying due to decreased blood supply to the tissues of the nose,

– Recurrent nose bleeding,

– Nasal stuffiness,

– Chronic runny nose,

– Strained, hoarse breathing,

– Facial pain that radiates from the locations of the sinuses, and,

– Perforation of the nasal septum or the development of a hole in the cartilage wall that separates the two sides of the nose.

Tips for Sinus Care:

The best way to avoid severe permanent damage is to kick the habit. Unless you would want to live with the coke nose (the term used for the nose that had caved in due to cocaine use) and corroded nasal septum for life, you should start kicking out the habit to the nearest window as soon as you can.

Treating the above complaints with over-the-counter decongestants is never a good idea. Nasal decongestants often have the components that induce vasoconstriction or narrowing of the blood vessels. This makes it harder for blood to reach the nasal tissues which further results to crusting and scabbing. To know which treatments are available for you, seek the recommendations of your physician.

When scabbing or crusting occurs, avoid picking your nose. When necessary, remove the crust or scabs gently.

When having nose bleeds, keep in mind the dos and don’ts:

Do’s

• Wipe off the blood using a damp cloth or tissue.

• Maintain a position that allows you to keep your head above your heart.

• Apply cold compress to your nose.

Don’ts

• Don’t blow your nose, this will cause worse nosebleeds.

• Don’t lie down. Sit or stand instead so your heart is below your head. This lessens pressure on your upper body, thereby preventing the discharge of more blood.

• Don’t tilt your head back; otherwise you will swallow the blood that is supposed to come out of your nose.

• Avoid lifting heavy objects. This creates added pressure to your blood vessels.

For more information, please visit http://www.sinusdynamics.com/

The Price Cocaine Exerts On The Sinus

More Meth Drug Addiction Info: