Effects of Drug Abuse on the Body

According to the NLM, “Drug abuse is a serious public health problem that affects almost every community and family in some way.” It has many effects on a person’s life in general, causing financial issues, work-related problems, episodes of violence, breakups and issues among friends and family members, and even legal ramifications. However, the toll drug abuse can take on an individual’s body is extremely high, depending on the specific substance, and often deadly. The longer a drug is abused, the more likely it is that the individual will experience extreme physical side effects which can affect all areas of the body.

Drug Abuse Harms the Body

When you put toxins into your body, you experience harmful effects. The more toxins you take in (and the more toxic the substance is), the more dangerous the effects will be. As stated by the NIDA, “People who suffer from addiction often have one or more accompanying medical issues, which can include lung or cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and mental disorders.” These issues are common with most drugs of abuse, and anyone who takes a dangerous substance repeatedly is increasing their chance of experiencing harmful physical side effects.

It is unhealthy to abuse drugs in this way, which is why many of them (like crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin) are illegal to use. Drugs that are prescription based like stimulants, opioids, and CNS depressants are meant to only be taken by a doctor’s orders because those who abuse them at their own discretion often experience dangerous (and even deadly) side effects. Drug abuse harms a person’s body no matter how you view it, and if these issues do not occur immediately, they often will catch up with a person after long term abuse.

Effects of Specific Drugs on the Body

Short term, Marijuana can cause memory problems and paranoia.

Certain drugs cause certain side effects when abused. Understanding which drugs cause which effects can help you determine the intensity of your body’s reaction to a substance and whether or not you are already in danger.

• Marijuana
  • Short-term effects
    • Memory problems
    • Paranoia
    • Anxiety
    • Bloodshot eyes
    • Coordination problems
    • Dizziness
  • Long-term effects
    • “Limiting the brain’s capacity to store and retrieve information” (CESAR)
    • Learning problems
    • Sexual dysfunction
    • Weakened immune system
    • High blood pressure
    • Increased risk of heart attack
• Prescription opioids
  • Short-term
    • Dizziness
    • Confusion
    • Coordination problems
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Seizures
    • Possible severe respiratory depression and heart failure, leading to death
  • Long-term
    • Chronic headaches
    • Low blood pressure
    • Painful withdrawal symptoms
    • “Increased pressure of cerebral and spinal fluid” (CESAR)
• Heroin
  • Short-term
    • Dry mouth
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Itchiness
    • Confusion
    • Drowsiness
    • Possible severe respiratory depression leading to respiratory failure, heart failure, and death
  • Long-term
    • Collapsed veins
    • Liver disease
    • Kidney disease
    • Abscesses
    • Pneumonia
    • Infection of the heart
    • Clogged blood vessels
• Inhalants
  • Short-term
    • Intoxication
    • Dizziness
    • Confusion
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Headache
    • Wheezing and coughing
    • Slurred speech
    • Hallucinations
    • Coordination problems
  • Long-term
    • Heart failure
    • Leukemia
    • Deafness
    • Inability for the blood to carry enough oxygen
    • Memory problems
    • Liver damage
    • Lung damage
    • Rash
    • Muscle deterioration
• Amphetamines (including methamphetamine)
  • Short-term
    • Extremely high body temperature
    • Dry mouth
    • Dilated pupils
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Headache
    • Heart palpitations
    • Heart failure
    • Paranoia
    • Jaw clenching
    • Seizures
    • Sweating
  • Long-term
    • Stimulant-induced psychosis
    • Skin disorders
    • Mental disorders and mental illnesses
    • Ulcers
    • Brain damage similar to Parkinson’s disease
    • Convulsions
    • Heart problems
    • Cracked and broken teeth
    • Severe weight loss and malnutrition
    • Cardiac arrhythmias
    • Breathing problems
• Cocaine
  • Short-term
    • Constricted blood vessels
    • Anxiety
    • Impotence
    • Insomnia
    • Hyperstimulation
    • High body temperature
    • Heart attack
    • Stroke
  • Long-term
    • Heart disease
    • Headaches
    • Seizures
    • Damage to the nasal septum
    • Respiratory failure
    • Sexual dysfunction
• Prescription CNS Depressants
  • Short-term
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Abdominal pain
    • Vertigo
    • Tremors
    • Impaired coordination
    • Confusion
    • Vision problems
    • Slowed reflexes
  • Long-term
    • Memory problems
    • Muscle weakness
    • Slurred speech
    • Dangerous withdrawal symptoms like seizures and dissociation
• Hallucinogens
  • Short-term
    • Hallucinations
    • High body temperature
    • Tremors
    • Chills and sweating
    • Palpitations
  • Long-term effects
    • Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder
    • Psychosis
• MDMA
  • Short-term
    • Muscle tension
    • Hallucinations
    • Fainting
    • Chills
    • Blurry vision
    • Nystagmus
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Severe dehydration and high body temperatures which can be deadly
  • Long-term
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • “Possible depletion of serotonin and memory” (CESAR)

Each of these substances causes their own effects on the body of those individuals who abuse them. When a person takes these substances chronically over time, it only increases the likelihood that these dangerous side effects will occur or become intense enough to cause harmful results.

Mental Disorders

According to the NIDA, “Drug abuse and mental illness often co-exist. In some cases, mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia may precede addiction; in other cases, drug abuse may trigger or exacerbate those mental disorders.” Drug abuse can make changes to the way the brain works which affects the entire well-being of the individual. The possibility that drug abuse can trigger a mental disorder shows that its effects reach to every part of the human body.

HIV/AIDS and Other Diseases

It is common for an individual to contract HIV, hepatitis B or C, or another transmittable disease as a result of drug abuse. Many users will share needles which can cause a disease to be passed from person to person. As a result of their impaired judgement, other individuals may engage in unsafe sexual practices when abusing drugs and contract one of the diseases this way. “Addiction and HIV/AIDS are intertwined epidemics” which is why this is a common effect drug abuse has on an individual’s body.

Drug abuse has many effects on an individual’s behavior, their life, and their future. But the dangers that abusing drugs can cause to the body may ensure that the person will not live to see that future. Once someone realizes that their drug abuse has become involuntary (and that they are going to continue taking drugs no matter how dangerous its effects become), that individual should seek treatment in order to stop abusing drugs and work on their recovery. Some of the effects drug abuse causes on the body are irreversible and others are deadly. This is why it is important to receive treatment as soon as possible and before these effects become too severe.