Heroin is a powerful narcotic drug which is often abused because of its ability to cause euphoria. Heroin is a synthetic opioid so it is chemically similar to opium. Heroin can be ingested, inhaled through the nose, or injected intravenously. Over time, heroin use can lead to heroin addiction, which has a number of side effects.
Short Term
The immediate effects of a heroin addiction stem from the effects of heroin use. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, heroin use produces a "rush" within a few seconds of use. Heroin also can cause skin flushing (redness, from dilated capillaries), dry mouth, and a feeling that the extremities are unusually heavy. It also causes the user to alternate between feeling awake and feeling drowsy. It also can cause mental confusion and "cloudy" thinking. Heroin use can also cause respiratory depression (slowed breathing) that can be severe enough to be fatal, especially if the user takes an unusually large dose of heroin.
Long Term
Because heroin addicts use heroin frequently and for an extended period of time, it causes changes in their brains' chemistry. Essentially, the brain adjusts its chemical levels to anticipate and expect heroin on a regular basis. This causes dependence, which means that the heroin addict needs to have regular doses of heroin to avoid withdrawal symptoms, which initially start as a powerful yearning for heroin and eventually progress to "restless" legs, bone and muscle pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Heroin addicts can also develop tolerance to the drug, which means that increasing levels are needed to make the user high. This can also make heroin addicts less susceptible to other opioid compounds, including narcotic pain relievers. Dependence and tolerance combine to cause heroin addicts to go to increasing lengths to obtain the drug, which can lead to criminal activity.
Medical Effects
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one potential side effect of heroin addiction is the contraction of certain blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B and C or HIV. These diseases may be transmitted from one infected user to another (uninfected) user if they share needles. Heroin addicts who only use clean needles are still susceptible to other infections, primarily bacterial. These infections can cause large abscesses to form in the skin, or they can travel through the bloodstream to the heart, where they can cause serious damage. Other medical complications include scarring and collapsing of veins, which can lead to bruising and poor circulation.
