Addiction makes it difficult to make plans forward, especially in the near term. Substances start to control your every move. It may become a battle just to get through the day. On the other hand, we can’t turn a blind eye to the ways drugs change our bodies over time. Your emotional and physical well-being might take a serious hit if you develop an addiction to drugs. Understanding the health risks associated with drug abuse and addiction may help in the fight against these issues in the future. Below, we will talk about some associations between addiction and health problems.
Image Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/person-sitting-on-top-of-gray-rock-overlooking-mountain-during-daytime-z0nVqfrOqWA
Cancer
Substance misuse exacerbates a number of risk factors for cancer. This is especially the case when it comes to alcohol and cigarettes. One of the most avoidable causes of cancer is alcohol use. Consumption of alcohol has been associated with several health conditions, including malignancies of the mouth, throat, liver, colon, esophagus, and breasts. No specific level of alcohol use is safe from getting cancer. When it comes to avoidable cancer causes, cigarette smoking ranks first. Cigarette smoke contains more than 70 known carcinogens, many of which alter cell division and destroy your DNA structure. It’s good to know that using addictive substances may also raise the chance of health difficulties for others, similar to how passive smoking can cause cancer.
Chronic Pain
When pain doesn’t go away after six months or more of rest, it’s considered chronic pain. A decline in quality of life as well as emotions of melancholy, worry, dread, and rage may result from physical discomfort that lasts too long. The widespread abuse of opioids is thought to be fueled, in part, by their frequent prescription for chronic pain. People who have chronic pain often turn to substances like alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine as a means of self-medication. Many drug users in the USA find this physical effect the worst, so this chronic pain is exactly why they search for online options to stop using drugs in Arizona, for instance, because they find it unbearable to live like this forever. The best option is if they realize that continuing to use drugs is only making it worse since they are basically in a vicious circle.
Cardiovascular Diseases
The heart rate of an addict may be increased when they are using stimulants and slowed down when using central nervous system depressants. There is an increased chance of blood clots, ischemic damage, and other circulatory diseases, including aortic or coronary artery dissection, if blood pressure is consistently high or low. Arrhythmia can be caused by several intoxicating drugs. Overdose fatalities from cardiac arrest may occur when stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamine are consumed in large quantities. Respiratory virus infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis, or acute respiratory distress syndrome are all more common among alcoholics.
Image Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/selective-focus-photography-of-heart-organ-illustration-Us3AQvyOP-o
There may be many twists and turns on the path to recovery. Although maintaining soberness won’t be an easy task, it is possible with consistent effort. Stopping drug use is the best way to overcome the psychological, physiological, and emotional consequences of addiction. You can get there by starting treatment as soon as possible.
