Side Effects Of Substance Abuse and Opioid Addiction

The foods you consume can significantly affect your health. If you have a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, you’ll keep yourself safe from common illnesses and diseases. You’ll become healthier and do more in life.

On the other side of the coin, if you fill your body with illicit drugs and disregard the need of availing mental health services in West Chester PA and other parts of the globe, your health can take a turn for the worse.

If you want to make the most out of your life, you should be free from substance abuse and opioid addiction. No matter what the reason is, you should strive to live a drug-free life.

 

What Are The Side Effects Of Substance Abuse?

 

Substance abuse happens when an individual takes illegal drugs. Whenever a person takes illegal substances when they shouldn’t or takes another person’s prescription, that’s considered substance abuse. Substance abuse can also be affiliated with an excess dosage of alcohol and prescription medicine.

Contrary to popular belief, substance abuse is different from addiction. People who are suffering from drug abuse can have better chances of turning over a new leaf compared to drug addicts. People who abuse drugs can quit or change their unhealthy behavior while addiction, on the other hand, is considered as a disease. When you’re addicted to a certain substance, it’ll be hard for you to quit no matter how hard you try.

Substance abuse, though different from drug addiction, still has the same side effects, such as:

1.Weak immune system: Your immune system will naturally fight off germs and bacteria, allowing you to become healthy in the long run. However, when you abuse any kind of substance, it’ll be hard for your body to resist infections from bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Substance abuse allows your body to be susceptible to infections.

2. Prone to cardiovascular conditions: Your body can’t function without your heart. This organ is responsible for supplying blood in different parts of your body. Instead of helping your heart pump blood, substance abuse can only complicate and suppress this process.

Substance abuse can have several adverse effects on your cardiovascular health, which can include abnormal heart rate to recurring episodes of a heart attack. When illegal drugs are injected in your body, your veins can collapse and cause bacterial infections to your heart valves and blood vessels.

3. Problems with memory: Your memory plays a vital role in your productivity. The better you can remember things you learned in the past, the easier it’ll be for you to function at school or work. But when you continually use illegal substances, your memory can be compromised, and you can suffer from memory loss.

This happens because illegal substances can interfere with your brain’s white matter and slow down the natural functions of your brain. Memory loss can also happen due to oxygen deprivation, which you can experience when you overuse heroin.

 

What Are The Side Effects Of Opioid Addiction?

 

Opioids work by lowering the pain signals sent by your body to your brain. This medicine is also known to change how your brain responds to pain. Usually, opioids are used to relieve pain from toothaches and different types of dental procedures, surgeries, and injuries.

But just like anything else in this world, excessive use of opioids can cause more harm than good. Instead of relieving yourself from pain, opioid addiction can cause the following side effects:

1. Restlessness: Sleep is necessary for you to have a healthy lifestyle. All of your efforts to exercise and eat well will be useless if you can’t get at least eight hours of sleep every night.

Being restless and sleep-deprived are just two of the things you can experience from opioid addiction. Because you’re restless, you’ll lose sleep regularly. This can become the reason why you’ll lose focus and mental sharpness.

2. Loss of libido: Opioid addiction will not only damage your health, but it can also have adverse effects on your relationships. Opioid addiction can become the reason why men will have erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, retarded ejaculation, and even decreased sexual drive. For women, opioid addiction can lead to vaginal dryness and dyspareunia.

3. Itchy skin: Your skin can create an impression. When your skin is smooth and clear, you’ll be more confident to mingle with other people. But when you become addicted to opioids, you might not be able to experience this.

Opioid addiction can interact with your central nervous system and immune system, making your skin itch. This can result in rashes, redness, and scarring.

Treatment Is Available

 

If you see yourself using any type of illegal drug, seek professional help as soon as possible. No matter how severe your substance abuse and opioid addiction is, therapies will always be available for you.

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Written by HealthStatus Crew
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus teams with authors from organizations to share interesting ideas, products and new health information to our readers.

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