7 Ways Addiction Can Impact Health and How to Get Addiction Treatment Help
Drug and alcohol use impacts various areas of the body, not just the brain. As you work on recovery, you’ll notice you feel better over time. That’s because your body begins to heal from the damage brought on by addiction.
What’s happening to your body while you’re in active addiction? This differs from one person to the next based on the type of substances, the severity of addiction, your metabolism, and your genetics.
The following are some of the most common physical outcomes of addiction and what they may mean to your health and recovery.
1. Increased Risks of Infection and Immune System Damage
Those who drink alcohol on a frequent basis are more likely to suffer from infections due to the damage created to the immune system. According to research, alcohol impacts the function of your immune system, making it more challenging when you become exposed to threats.
With routine consumption, your body’s immune system becomes vulnerable to infections, including both viral and bacterial pathogens.
2. Cardiovascular Health Complications
Routine use of alcohol and drugs can damage your heart and cardiovascular system as a whole. It may cause an increased risk of the following, according to research studies:
- Heart failure
- Ischemic injury causes rhythm issues
- Circulatory limitations and blockages
- Increased risk of blood clots
- Cardiac valve infections
- Vascular inflammation
- High blood pressure
Some drugs can increase your heart rate, while others may slow it down. However, chronic use may make these changes in heart rate dangerous and prolonged. Stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, are particularly risky for heart function in the short term, often causing rapid heart rates that lead to heart attacks, especially in overdose cases.
3. Increased Risk of Cancers
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that a person who drinks alcohol on a consistent basis is at a higher risk for developing several types of cancer:
- Throat cancer
- Colon cancer
- Breast cancer in women
- Liver cancer
These substances disrupt the function of the immune system, triggering a much higher risk for cancer development. The amount of alcohol and types of drugs influence the overall types of cancer that occur.
4. Liver Damage
The use of alcohol and drugs can cause damage to your liver. Your liver works as a type of filter for your body, limiting the amount of toxins that you take in from getting out into your bloodstream and to your organs. Yet, there’s only so much the liver can take.
Over time, damage to the liver makes it difficult for that filtration to take place, leading to more substances getting into the rest of your body. However, from the standpoint of liver health, it also causes serious damage called cirrhosis. This can be a progressive and fatal condition over time.
5. Brain Damage
Your brain is incredibly delicate and easily susceptible to damage from alcohol and drug use. You may know that when you use these substances, they change the function of the brain, creating the sense of high many people seek. What also happens, though, is a change to the structure of the brain, which ultimately impacts various functions.
Some drugs create interactions with brain chemistry that can lead to physical dependence. Some may change the function of the brain’s decision-making, behavior, and impulse control areas. Others impact the entire central nervous system. Data indicates that the development of co-occurring disorders is high in those who have used substances for some time. Brain injury, in short, is a common part of substance use disorder.
6. Gastrointestinal Problems
Some people experience challenges to their gastrointestinal tract resulting from drug use and overuse. Conditions such as chronic indigestion, as well as reflux, are commonly associated with addiction because of the damage these toxins create to the esophagus and stomach lining.
That’s true whether you are using alcohol or you are taking any type of pill, including prescription drugs. Some drugs, such as opioids, create chronic constipation because they slow the function of the GI system, which can become an ongoing concern if not treated.
7. Lung Damage
The respiratory system is also at risk for damage from prolonged use of alcohol or drugs. Smoking any type of drug is particularly worrisome because it damages the alveoli, or tiny fibers, within the lungs that help you breathe. This also makes you much more likely to suffer respiratory infections.
Some depressive drugs, such as opioids, can also cause a slowed rate of breathing, especially in overdose conditions. This can impact long-term health as well.
What to Do If You Are Facing Substance Use Disorder
If you are facing drug and
