It is generally believed that a person who consumes drugs suffers from a psychological illness and should be treated under the supervision of an experienced narcologist and psychotherapist. This is true, but one should not forget about physical health - it also turns out to be badly spoiled. In the article - about the main diseases, which somehow provokes drug addiction.
Drugs and their effects on the body
It's no secret that drugs completely change the psyche of a person who becomes susceptible to depression, various disorders and disturbances in behavior and worldview. The specific consequences for mental health largely depend on the type of drug a person consumes, because some of them depress the central nervous system, others - stimulate its increased activity, the third cause hallucinations. In addition, all the consequences for the body will be divided into those that are related to the direct consumption of the drug and its effect, and to the remote ones, caused by the gradual destruction of the brain.
Drug taking affects the physical health of the addict. With long-term experience( and with respect to modern drugs - and with experience of several months) addicts already have irreversible changes from the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain and other organs. Nutrition for drug addicts usually leaves much to be desired, they often suffer from acute respiratory infections and colds. Highly common are skin infections, the genitourinary system. Even former drug addicts often have diseases of the stomach, intestines, mouth, veins.
Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis is a liver inflammation of an infectious nature - the most common answer to the question of what diseases cause drugs. In the overwhelming majority of cases, hepatitis B and C are inherent in the category of people who use injecting drugs, as this is the main way of transmission. If the hygiene measures are not observed during the production of the "dose", when recruiting from a common utensil, using a single needle and a syringe, the particles of the virus enter the blood of a healthy person, eventually becoming infected.
In the risk group for the incidence of hepatitis B, C, D - all people who consume or previously consumed any injecting drugs. Since the immunity of drug addicts is sharply reduced, the risk of getting sick increases at times. There is some danger for those who are the sexual partner of the addict, especially for hepatitis B, which is transmitted during sexual intercourse very often. Hepatitis D is associated with hepatitis B, but is less common.
The danger of all hepatitis is a chronicity that drug addicts happen almost always. Chronic hepatitis destroys the liver, leading to cirrhosis and cancer. Possible the development of hepatic coma and death. Approximately half of injecting drug users have this or that form of hepatitis, which threatens with serious consequences.
On the video about hepatitis of various kinds:
HIV and AIDS
Like hepatitis, HIV and AIDS are diseases transmitted through the blood and not rarely caused by drugs. Of course, it is more difficult to become infected with HIV: a large dose of contaminated blood is needed for the development of the disease, rather than for the appearance of hepatitis. Nevertheless, the routes of infection are similar: the use of a single syringe, a needle, a set of drugs from one dish, and a syringe washing in a common container.
HIV and drug users of amphetamine-type drugs, so-called "club" drugs, also become infected. Loss of control over one's own emotions leads to promiscuous sexual intercourse, which also often ends in HIV infection.
Sepsis
Sepsis, or blood poisoning is a consequence of the influence of two factors - the injection of "dirty" drugs or suppuration of the wound, as well as sharply reduced immunity. Since the immune system can not "fight" with pathogenic bacteria, with any violation of the integrity of the skin, the addict often has ulcers. Purulent diseases can also be a consequence of infection in the puncture site, because dependent people often put injections in places with complete unsanitary conditions.
After getting under the skin, the infection causes the formation of an abscess, and then an abscess-purulent melting of the subcutaneous tissues. Since many drug addicts do not pay attention to such "trifles" and do not consult a doctor, the disease progresses. The body temperature rises, the general condition worsens. When the abscess ruptures, a sepsis develops in the cavity of the vessel. Without treatment, sepsis always leads to death, but in the hospital it is also difficult to deal with it. To save a life will help only earlier the introduction of antibiotics.
Other infectious diseases of addicts
When a person becomes infected with HIV or hepatitis, the body becomes highly susceptible to various infections.
This is especially true of the neglected stage of AIDS, which provokes a number of infectious diseases( some are called opportunistic, since people without immunodeficiency do not occur):
- Fungal infections are candidiasis of the trachea, esophagus, bronchi, etc. It is the most common fungal infection in people infected with HIV.Most candidiasis manifests itself as a cheesy plaque in the mouth, on the genitals, but at later stages covers the respiratory system.
- Toxoplasmosis. The disease leads to brain damage, so the patient develop seizures of epilepsy, paresis and paralysis, speech and vision disorders. Possible coma or confusion.
- Tuberculosis. This disease among drug addicts is more common than among ordinary people. Usually they develop active pulmonary tuberculosis, in 40% of the infected the disease covers other organs.
- Herpes. If a drug addict is infected with this infection, it gives frequent exacerbations in the form of large rashes on the face, genitals. The rash does not heal for a long time, it is painful.
- Pneumocystis pneumonia. The causative agent is a natural microflora of the lungs, which in AIDS patients leads to the development of severe pneumonia. The disease gives a strong cough, high fever, chest pain, weight loss, difficult to treat.
- Disseminated bacterial infection. May have pulmonary or extrapulmonary localization. Most often leads to the defeat of many organs with pneumococci or Staphylococcus aureus. It is possible to generalize the infection - sepsis.
- Isosporosis. It is caused by protozoa, leads to acute enteritis, colitis. A healthy person with this pathology can recover independently, and in HIV-infected the disease becomes chronic and can lead to death.
- Recurrent salmonellosis. If the mild form of this pathology in a healthy person also passes on its own, it is difficult for HIV-infected people to generalize, go into chronic form and give regular relapses.
Diseases of the mind
The use of drugs can not but affect the mental health of a person. Usually, the memory becomes poor, the personality degrades. Often there is nervousness, bad mood. Symptoms of mental disorders largely depend on the type of person's nature and the type of drug.
The psychological problems that arise from drugs are:
- Bipolar disorder. Pathology is also called "manic-depressive psychosis," it occurs more than half of dependent people with experience. Particularly characteristic pathology for fans of hallucinogens, amphetamines, cocaine. The disease is accompanied by a sharp change in the mood of a person - from aggression or high activity to severe depression with thoughts of suicide.
- Degradation and dissocial personality disorder. A drug addict may over time ignore social norms, undergo personality disorders with indifference to relatives, with irresponsible behavior, inability to maintain normal relations with people. For a person, violence, crimes, and inadequate behavior become the norm. The reason is long-term consumption of any psychotropic substances, in particular, opiates.
- Schizophrenia. Like other mental disorders, it develops because of toxins damage to CNS cells( more often - with the use of hallucinogens, spice).Often inherited. A person can become untidy, anxious, frightened, or angry, aggressive. Often, there is paranoia, "voices" are heard, a person raves, experiences hallucinations.
- Amnesia. It represents a variety of memory impairments against the background of brain damage to drugs( more often - "club").With the timely abandonment of drugs and treatment, attacks of amnesia may stop.
- Depression. It often occurs against the background of an abstinence syndrome from taking opiates( 90% of cases) due to a violation of habitual drug production by opioid receptors. Depression is accompanied by a slowdown in thinking, depression, sleep and appetite disorders, and suicidal thoughts. Drug addicts often have anxious depression with the appearance of more severe mental disorders.
Conclusion: drug addiction and its consequences are so heavy that the chances for a person's life remain little. Refusal of the drug will save you from a lot of problems, the important one of which is early death from concomitant diseases.