Know About Medical Consequence of Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a disease related to brain, although initial stages of drug abuse are voluntary, these drugs changes the gene expression and brain circuitry, which in turn affects the human behavior. Once addiction develops these changes in the brain influences the individual’s ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to compulsive drug craving.

Drug addiction causes many diseases in the body of the individual who is addicted to drugs like cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and lung disease. Some of these diseases are caused due to continuous in take of drugs for long time duration and some may occur after just one use. Depending on the type of the drug taken, every organ in the body is effected, for example, permanent brain damage associated with inhalants, heart attack or stroke from stimulants, halted breathing from sedatives and finally all these problems can result in death. Here are some of the medical consequences of the drug addiction:

• The main effect of drugs is on the brain and they alter the areas of the brain responsible for self control, judgment, emotional regulation, motivation, memory, and learning.
• Heavy doses of drugs may cause irregular heartbeats, and it may increase the blood pressure, heart attacks, and other heart damages in the abusers.
• Sharing hypodermic needles used to inject some drugs also increases the risk of contracting AIDS and some types of hepatitis.
• Drugs like anabolic steroids are associated with impotence in boys and men, clitoral enlargement in girls and women.
• Drug addiction also causes chronic diseases like cancer, liver diseases, lung diseases, heart attacks and other infections.

Drug addiction has many severe, almost fatal affects on the body. Hence, it is suggested to identify the symptoms in the early stages and take actions to prevent further damage.