subject: Blood-borne Illness And Drug Use [print this page] Most people understand that recreational drugs can be extremely harmful to users health. Narcotics such as cocaine and meth can cause permanent respiratory, oral, and nasal damage. Opiates like heroin and morphine may cause heart disease, heart attacks, and liver complications. Psychotropics such as LSD and ecstasy can cause dangerously high body temperatures, hyperactivity, and exhaustion. All of these substances can ruin users lives with addiction.
However, many people fail to recognize the complications which can result from specific drug consumption methods. In particular, injecting and snorting put drug users at severe risk of contracting blood-borne illnesses. It is crucial that people understand these risks in order to promote addiction awareness and prevention in their communities. The following are diseases which drug users often contract.
HIV / AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus is a blood-borne pathogen which is most often transmitted through sexual intercourse and from pregnant mothers to their children. However, drug users who share hypodermic needles also put themselves at severe risk of contracting HIV.
Unfortunately, needle-sharing is common in communities of heroin users. Since injection allows addicts to bypass their metabolisms and produce strong, fast-acting highs, it is almost always the preferred method of consumption. Clean needles can be difficult to obtain, however, so groups of users will often share the same needle for several injections. Even with vigorous cleaning, shared needles pass blood cells from one person to the next. If one user in such a group is HIV positive, everyone sharing that needle has a high probability of contracting the virus.
HIV is a gravely serious condition because it causes AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome. AIDS wreaks havoc on the human body by attacking white blood cells and other critical components of the immune system. Such a compromised immune system puts patients at incredible risk of infection. Diseases which have hardly any effect on healthy people can be deadly for people with AIDS.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is another disease often transmitted through sexual intercourse and needle sharing. However, it can also be contracted by sharing snorting tools. When people snort cocaine, they develop rashes and open sores inside their noses. Because these sores bleed, people who share snorting straws can transmit blood-borne pathogens to each other.
Like HIV / AIDS, this virus is incurable. It primarily affects the liver and typically leads to intense scarring. People with liver scars often develop liver complications and eventually liver cancers. Liver scarring can also lead to cirrhosis, the replacement of liver tissue with scar tissue. This condition can cause a number of complications in other organs, including the esophagus and stomach.
Bacterial Infections
Even when drug users avoid contracting blood-borne viruses, they put themselves at increased risk of bacterial infection. Injecting and snorting create open wounds on the body which are constantly susceptible to attack by harmful bacteria. Injecting is particularly dangerous because so many users who inject will use the same site for weeks or months on end. Sores that are open for such a long time will almost inevitably become infected, and some heroin users have even had to have limbs amputated as a result.
The risks of consuming drugs are severe. If you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, use the links below for a confidential consultation. Let us help you find a treatment plan and take the first steps on your road to recovery.
