Long term effects of heroin can include affecting brain function, can lead to negative behaviors, and cause different serious physical problems if abuse of the substance continues and health issues are left unattended. If you or someone you know is having trouble with heroin use, it is strongly recommended that you seek professional help in receiving a treatment plan for your situation.
What Are The Symptoms of Heroin Use?
Heroin use symptoms can be physical, psychological, and emotional. These symptoms are important to notice both in a person who has misused substances on occasion and in someone who is in recovery due to the risk of relapse.
Heroin use symptoms, according to Fresh Start Recovery Center, include:
● Sores on lips and around nostrils
● Burn marks on fingers or mouth
● Marks at the injection site
● Increased insistence on privacy
● Becoming isolated and withdrawn
● Deceptive activity
● Sudden weight loss
● Problems with coordination
● Flu-like symptoms
What Are The Long Term Effects of Heroin Use?
If used for a long time, the individual’s body starts to break down in several ways. Potential overdose is a constant and first concern. Fentanyl and other synthetic opiates are now more often found on the street than heroin.
Long term effects of heroin use can include sexual dysfunction, skin infections such as abscesses, immune issues like arthritis, nasal passageway damage due to snorting heroin, vein collapse due to injecting it, and other conditions for which emergency medical help is needed.
If medical issues are left untreated, a person who abuses heroin is vulnerable to mental health issues that can result in suicidal ideation, a feeling of hopelessness, heart infections, blood infections, lung issues, and other serious complications.
Common long term effects of heroin can include:
● Anxiety
● Agitation
● Confusion
● Trouble making rational decisions
● Weakened immune system
● Sleep issues
● Respiratory issues
● Damage to the brain
● Liver or kidney disease
Long-term heroin use can also lead to serious physical changes, such as complexion change, severe weight loss, rotting or lost teeth, and skin pockmarks around the body including the face.
How To Get Help For Heroin Addiction?
Fortunately, even if someone has used drugs like heroin for a long time or has relapsed, they can still return to society and become sober. Opiate addictions like heroin abuse go particularly well with 12-step programs. Methadone, Suboxone, and naltrexone can be involved in medication management. Mental health counseling and physical rehabilitation treatments can help the body and mind. Contact us at 1 Solution Wellness today to learn more about how we can help you, your employees, and/or your loved ones overcome addiction.