Florida Drug Rehab

Heroin is a drug which is very highly addictive, and when it comes to opiates heroin abuse is the most common out of all these drugs.  Heroin abuse starts with the poppy plant, which is used to create morphine of which heroin is a derivative. Heroin can be found in powder form, with a brown or white color, or the drug may come as a substance which is very sticky and black, and is called black tar heroin for this reason. Heroin abuse may take the form of snorting, injecting, or smoking, depending on the preference of the user. Even users who start out snorting or smoking heroin may end up injecting the drug as their heroin abuse becomes worse and addiction sets in.

Herion needle

Detecting Heroin Abuse: Signs And Symptoms To Look For

With heroin abuse there are some definite signs which can point out the drug use.  Pupils which are small and constricted, vomiting, and nodding out are common signs that heroin abuse is going on.  Nodding out refers to the fact that the user cannot stay awake, and dozes even while sitting up or standing.  A hyper state may also be noticed before the nodding out occurs, and the user may get secret telephone calls or be secretive about their activities and friends.  If the user is injecting, a form of heroin abuse referred to as shooting up, then there will be needle puncture marks, also called track marks, on the body as well.

The Effects Of Heroin

Heroin abuse has a number of effects, and the addictive potential of this drug is extremely high matter what form the drug use takes. There are both short and long-term effects of heroin abuse.  The short-term effects can include a sense of nausea and vomiting, a physical rush of sensations, a numbness or loss of pain feeling in certain areas of the body, mental functioning that is very poor and easily confused, breathing which becomes very slow and shallow, and a miscarriage when used by pregnant women in many cases. The list of long-term effects for heroin abuse are much longer and can even be fatal or very severe.

Health Concerns Related to Heroin Abuse

Heroin abuse includes the risk of addiction, as well as many infectious diseases which are caused by blood borne illnesses.  Many individuals who have heroin abuse problems inject the drug, and it is common for more than one user to share a hypodermic needle. This practice also shares any infectious diseases that any of the users have.  And after the overdose and death are also health concerns, a number of individuals die each year because of heroin overdose.  Heroin abuse can also cause damage to the valves and lining of the heart, and when the drug is injected it can cause veins to collapse and they may fail to carry a sufficient blood supply to some areas of the body.

More information on Heroine addiction.