Substances such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, abused painkillers and alcohol, taken regularly for extended periods, will damage a person's body. Unless the person seeks treatment for his drug addiction, the damage will continue.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease occurs from the continued abuse of alcohol. The body reacts to a large amount of ingested alcohol and needs to detoxify it. The continual need for the kidneys to assist in detoxifying alcohol leads to wear and tear, which causes the kidneys to become overworked. Once the kidneys have become overworked, they shut down, causing the person to require dialysis in order to live, according ot the website MedlinePlus. Dialysis, a medical procedure, cleans toxins from the body when the kidneys can no longer do so.
Heart Disease
Heart disease occurs because of the heart's inability to continue to pump normally after toxic substances have affected the heart's electrical system. Toxic substances in the blood cause the heart to change its pattern of electrical activity, affecting the heart muscle and creating difficulties for it to maintain a normal rhythm. Cocaine, for example, stimulates the heart and causes it to beat rapidly and erratically, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports.
Liver Disease
The liver, the primary organ for detoxifying substances in the body, becomes affected by the continued use of toxic substances ingested by the body, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports. The liver aids in the digestion of food and helps in the production of red blood cells. The liver becomes unhealthy because of the constant work it needs to perform to protect the body from harmful substances.
Viral Diseases
Hepatitis C and the human immunodeficiency virus cause life-threatening infections. They can transmit from one person to another via infected needles shared for drugs. Many people do not know they have these types of infections because not everyone gets tested for them. Addicts often don't believe they can have the infections or they don't care about receiving treatment, MedlinePlus indicates.
Brain Damage
Brain damage occurs because of the effect of drugs on the chemical makeup of the brain. The brain's communication to the body becomes altered because of the chemicals introduced into the brain. The brain then reacts to the substances, often causing the person to display paranoia, mood changes and confusion, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports.
