Heroin addiction

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Misuse?

Like other opiates, heroin use blocks the brain's ability to perceive pain. Heroin abusers, particularly those who have previous history of drug abuse, may initially have the ability to conceal signs and symptoms of their heroin use.




Loved ones or co workers may find several indications of heroin use, which are visible during and after heroin consumption:

Dry mouth
Constricted (small) pupils
Abrupt changes in behavior or actions
Disorientation
Cycles of hyper alertness followed by suddenly nodding off
Droopy appearance, as if extremities are heavy

The above signs aren't unique to heroin misuse. More definitive warning signals of heroin misuse include possession of paraphernalia used to prepare, inject or have heroin:

Needles or syringes not used for other medical functions
Combusted silver spoons
Aluminum foil or gum wrappers with burn marks
Missing shoelaces (used as a tie off for shot sites)
Little plastic bags, with white powdery deposits
Behavioral signs of heroin abuse and addiction include:

Lying or other deceptive behaviour
Avoiding eye contact, or distant field of vision
Substantial increases in time spent asleep
Improve in slurred, garbled or incoherent language
Sudden worsening of performance in school or work, including expulsion or loss of jobs
Decreasing attention to hygiene and physical appearance
Decline of motivation and apathy toward future aims
Withdrawal from family and friends, instead spending time with new friends with no natural tie
Lack of interest in hobbies and favorite tasks
Repeatedly stealing or borrowing money from loved ones, or unexplained lack of valuables
Hostile behaviors toward loved ones, including attributing them for withdrawal or broken commitments
Routine remarks indicating a decline in self esteem or worsening body image
Wearing long pants or long sleeves to conceal needle marks, even in very warm weather
Users assemble tolerance to heroin, leading to increases in the frequency and quantity of heroin consumption. With growing tolerance, more definitive physical symptoms of heroin abuse and addiction emerge:

Weight loss
Runny nose (not clarified by other illness or medical condition)
Needle course marks visible on arms
Diseases or abscesses at injection site
For girls, reduction of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea)
Cuts, bruises or scabs from skin picking
What are the Symptoms of Heroin Withdrawal?

Heroin abusers and addicts feel compelled to continue using the drug both because of its pain relieving effects, and as a result of anxiety of symptoms they may experience if they stop. Heroin withdrawal symptoms can start several hours to one day after continual use of the drug stops.

Intense heroin cravings
Profuse perspiration (not clarified by surroundings or physical action)
Serious muscle and bone aches
Intense cramping in limbs, resulting in "kicking"
Weeping
Sleeplessness
Cold sweats
Chills
Runny nose
Diarrhea
Fever

Someone experiencing withdrawal symptoms following long term heroin addiction is in danger for serious medical complications, including death when other medical conditions are present.

What are the Side Effects of Heroin Dependence?
Side effects from heroin abuse and addiction vary as the disorder advances. Other chemical dependency may impact the presentation of complications and side effects of heroin use.

Following heroin consumption, the user experiences a "rush" that is generally accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities. Given the challenge of precisely calibrating the dosage of such a strong narcotic, this initial rush can frequently be followed by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching.

Short-term physical side effects of heroin use include:

Blue respiration (shallow breathing)
Clouded mental function
Decreased pain from either physical conditions or emotional challenges
Uncontrollable feelings of itching that result in compulsive scratching or picking at skin (itchy blood)
Heroin abuse and addiction create serious medical side effects, which might directly or indirectly lead to departure:

Heart problems, including disease of heart lining and valves
Continual pneumonia or other pulmonary ailments
Bacterial infections
Liver disease
Seizures

Because heroin addicts do not know what the strength of the heroin bought on the road may be or what it may be blended with, they truly are at risk of overdose or death. Studies show that after five years of use the typical heroin user has a ninety percent chance of having contracted hepatitis C. An individual injecting heroin is also at high risk for the transmission of HIV and other diseases from sharing non-sterile needles.

Heroin misuse and dependency are extremely serious medical disorders. They need care from chemical dependency practitioners experienced in opiate detox and withdrawal. Please note:

Curtailing long-term heroin use abruptly can cause serious medical complications, including death.
Heroin detox should not be attempted at home, or without supervision from an authorized medical doctor who consistently treats patients for heroin dependence and withdrawal.

What Causes Heroin Addiction and Dependence?
Heroin is made from morphine, an all-natural material obtained from opium poppy plants. While certain opiates may be prescribed legally to treat severe pain, the federal government classifies diamorphine as a Schedule I narcotic with no legal use. Comprehending heroin's exceptionally addictive properties is assisted by consciousness of the types of heroin and procedures of consumption.

Heroin usually appears as a white or brownish powder. Larger blocks of heroin may also appear as a black sticky substance called black tar heroin. Diamorphine may have widely different degrees of potency and purity, which have a significant impact on the symptoms and side effects a user will have.

Heroin obtained on the street is cut, or combined, with other drugs or with white materials like sugar, starch, or powdered milk. Street diamorphine has also been understood to be combined with strychnine or other poisons putting the drug user's life in danger.

Abusers typically report feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation, commonly called a rush. The intensity of a rush is dependent upon how much drug is taken and how fast the drug enters the brain. There are three main ways a user may consume heroin:

Intravenously: direct injection into a vein using a needle
Smoking: inhalation orally through a pipe
Snorting: inhalation directly through the nose, possibly using a straw
Shot provides the most rapid rush and finest intensity of the drug, usually within seconds. When heroin is snorted or smoked the effects are usually felt within ten to fifteen minutes.