what parts of the body does heroin affect?
Question by lielyy!: what parts of the body does heroin affect?
im doing a presentation in science and i cant find the answer too that question ^^, please help!
Best answer:
Answer by George B
Effects of heroin substance abuse on the body
Heroin depresses, or slows down, the central nervous system. This can cause the heart rate to slow, and blood pressure to drop. Respiratory functions can also be impaired. Prolonged use of heroin can lead to heart and/or lung failure. Heroin creates conditions of bad health over all, making the body susceptible to illness. Liver disease and pneumonia are just a couple of the problems that can result from the body’s lowered immune system abilities.
Heroin is also a drug for which the body develops a tolerance. This means that as the body becomes used to the effects of heroin, more and more is needed in order to produce the “rush.” Eventually, as increasingly high dosages are needed just to achieve the same thing that the first dose did, the body becomes dependent on the drug. This means that the body almost needs heroin to function. The heroin has negative effects of the body overall, but the body has become used to having the drug present in its system.
Indirect effects of heroin substance abuse
The culture of heroin substance abuse lends itself to certain effects that may not be directly related to the drug’s effects on the body. However, these other effects can have very real and lasting effects on someone’s long-term health.
The repeated use of needles. Many people do not think about the effects the repeated use of needles can have in terms of heroin substance abuse. However, these effects should not be discounted. Because the fastest way to experience a “rush” is to inject the heroin directly into the blood stream, needle use is very common amongst heroin users. Unfortunately, the repeated use of needles can have very negative consequences:
* Collapsed veins. Eventually, continually injecting heroin into the same spot can result in collapsed veins. This leads some heroin users to move on to another vein. Some heroin addicts have collapsed several veins as they move on to “usable” entrance points for needles.
* Infectious diseases. Many heroin users actually use the drug in groups, often even at the dealer’s location. This often results in shared needles. This means that it is possible to get diseases from infected users. Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS can be contracted this way. These are two diseases that, while they are often “managed,” cannot be cured.
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