In 2017, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the United States.
Repeated drug abuse has both short-term and long-term health consequences. Specific consequences of drug addiction vary depending on the person, the amount used, the person’s medical history, and, of course, the substance used.
Addiction victims frequently have one or more co-occurring health issues, including lung or heart disease, stroke, cancer, or mental health issues.
Furthermore, some drugs, such as inhalants, can harm or destroy nerve cells in the brain. Infinite Recovery drug rehab center takes care of these health issues. If you want to know more about them, click https://www.infiniterecovery.com/drug-rehab-houston/.
Top 10 Health Conditions Caused by Drug Addiction
As we have mentioned before, drug addiction results in potentially dangerous health conditions. If you want to know more about these diseases, keep on scrolling. We will get you there shortly.
1: Cardiovascular Disease
The consequences of drug addiction can range from an irregular heart rate to a heart attack.
Injection drug use can result in cardiovascular complications such as collapsed veins, bacterial blood vessels, and heart valves.
Illicit drug use may be linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
MDMA, mescaline, GHB, prescription stimulants, and CNS depressants are among the other drugs known to hurt the cardiovascular system.
More potent drugs have a higher risk of causing heart attacks and strokes, especially in people who already have heart problems. Furthermore, drug addiction causes a slew of cardiovascular issues that can last a lifetime.
2: Cancer
Cigarette smoking has been linked to mouth, neck, stomach, and lung cancers.
Young adult males who began using marijuana in adolescence are at risk for testicular cancer.
Steroids can treat various medical conditions, but athletes and bodybuilders frequently abuse them. Thus, steroid use increases men’s risk of prostate cancer and women’s risk of endometrial cancer.
Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to various types of head and neck cancer, as well as esophageal cancer.
Consumption of alcoholic beverages has also been linked to breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer.
3: Gastrointestinal Disease
Many drugs cause nausea and vomiting after they are consumed. Cocaine use causes abdominal pain and the decay of bowel tissue.
Two extensive epidemiological studies published recently suggest that drug-induced diarrhea and constipation may be more common than previously thought.
Drug use and polypharmacy were independently associated with reports of constipation and diarrhea in a community survey of 4622 patients.
Opioids can cause constipation, acid reflux, and abdominal pain.
Some psychedelics, such as Ayahuasca, have been linked to nausea and vomiting.
4: Neurological Disease
Addictive drugs act on the brain’s neurotransmitters to produce their euphoric effects.
Thus, some drugs cause harm to the brain through seizures, strokes, and direct toxic effects on brain cells.
Various drugs have neurotoxic and neuro destructive effects on brain cells.
Alcohol, amphetamines, heroin, opioids, marijuana, inhalants, and cocaine are just a few of the substances linked to neurological damage.
Drugs can harm brain cells in various ways.
5: Mental Health Disorders
Drug use and other forms of mental illness frequently coexist.
Mental health issues like schizophrenia, depression, paranoia, or anxiety may precede addiction in some cases.
In other cases, drug use may precipitate or worsen those mental health conditions, particularly in people who are predisposed to them.
Some people suffering from disorders such as anxiety or depression may turn to drugs to alleviate their psychiatric symptoms.
However, detoxifying the body can be the only cure for drug-induced mental health problems.
6: Infectious Diseases
Drug use is linked to risky behaviors such as needle sharing and unprotected sex.
This can also weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases.
One out of every ten HIV cases is caused by drug injection.
Injection drug use is also a significant cause of hepatitis C transmission and can lead to endocarditis and cellulitis.
Drug use not only contributes to the spread of infectious diseases through injection drug use but also impairs judgment and increases the likelihood of risky sexual behaviors.
7: Musculoskeletal Disorders
Adolescent steroid use results in extraordinarily inflated sex hormone levels.
This can cause the bones to stop growing earlier than usual, resulting in short stature, severe muscle cramping, and overall muscle weakness.
The clinical spectrum of drug-induced musculoskeletal disorder ranges from asymptomatic abnormal reports to severe life-threatening manifestations.
The vast majority of such reactions are harmless arthralgias and myalgias.
Still, they can become chronic muscle problems that may cause an adverse reaction in the future.
8: Respiratory Disorders
Bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer have all been linked to drug-induced respiratory issues.
Chronic bronchitis can also be caused by marijuana. Cocaine damages the lungs and causes severe respiratory problems.
Opioid use can slow breathing, prevent air from entering the lungs, and aggravate asthma symptoms.
Many medications and substances have been linked to lung disease in some people.
Tissue damage to the lungs is also a result of the acidic nature of many drugs.
9: Kidney Damage
Dehydration, dangerous increases in body temperature, and muscle breakdown can result from drugs, causing kidney damage or failure.
Cocaine can cause endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and platelet aggregation, all of which can result in kidney damage.
Addiction to drugs can also cause an increase in blood pressure.
The two most common causes of kidney failure are high blood pressure and diabetes.
They can also be harmed due to the physical trauma that drug addiction puts them through.
10: Liver Damage
Drug-induced liver injury may put you at a higher risk of liver failure and the need for a liver transplant.
When drugs or dietary supplements obstruct usual liver function, this is called a drug-induced liver injury.
Drugs can harm the liver by directly damaging liver cells, blocking bile flow out of the liver, or both.
Although acetaminophen is an effective fever reducer and pain reliever, it is also one of the most common causes of medication-related liver failure.
Closing Thoughts
There you go. We have talked about the pivotal health conditions and illnesses caused by drug addiction. It should prevent you from getting into this awful habit because all these diseases can lead to death in the short-term.
So, if you want to know more about it, let us know in the comment section. We will get back to you with an answer in no time.
