Risks and Effects of Heroin Use

Heroin is an illegal drug derived from morphine, a naturally occurring opiate substance found in the poppy plant. It is sometimes sold as a white- or brown-colored powder, which may contain a number of other cutting agents and adulterant substances. “Black tar” heroin is another form of the drug, which may also contain several impurities as a result of relatively crude manufacturing processes.¹

The effects of heroin use can include both short- and long-term consequences, which may vary depending on its method of use.² Keep reading to learn more about the effects and health risks of heroin use and addiction.

Short-Term Effects of Heroin

People who use heroin often report feeling an immediate “rush” or surge of pleasure. The intensity of this rush depends on how much heroin is taken and how quickly it enters the brain.³ 

In the brain, heroin is converted to morphine, which rapidly binds to opioid receptors and begins to affect the person using it. The adverse short-term effects of heroin may include:³

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Heaviness in the limbs.
• Flushed skin.
• Dry mouth.
• Severe itching.

After the initial effects, the following may be experienced for several hours after heroin is used:³

• Drowsiness.
• Cloudy thinking.
• Slowed heart rate.
• Slowed breathing, sometimes dangerously slow.

Other Health Risks of Heroin Use

Using heroin regularly can put a person at risk for long-term health issues. Chronic use can cause potentially dangerous and sometimes persistent changes in multiple body systems.^2,4

Possible long-term effects of heroin include:^2,4

• Chronic constipation. Repeated opioid use, including heroin, can slow gastrointestinal motility, potentially resulting in constipation and other related GI tract complications.
• Brain changes. Regular heroin use creates lasting neuronal and hormonal imbalances in the brain and deterioration of brain matter. These physical and physiological changes in the brain can affect behavior regulation, responses to stress, and decision-making abilities, as well as increased and on the drug.
• Lung complications. Repeated respiratory depression and poor health from chronic heroin use may lead to pneumonia and tuberculosis.
• Mental health issues such as depression and altered response to stressful situations.
• Endocrine system and hormonal changes. In men, heroin use can eventually lead to sexual dysfunction, and in women, it may affect the regularity of their menstrual cycles.

Tolerance and physical dependence often contribute to escalating patterns of heroin use. This can ultimately drive the development of , another serious and potential long-term risk of heroin use. 

Heroin is extremely addictive in any way it’s used. However, injecting or smoking heroin can increase the risk of addiction because it delivers the drug to the brain more rapidly than other routes of administration.⁴ 

Additional health risks and complications may present with specific methods of use.²

Effects of Smoking Heroin

Smoking heroin can have additional effects on a person’s health, including issues with their lungs, as well as potentially unhealthy weight loss in some smokers.⁴ 

Though the mechanism isn’t entirely clear, some evidence suggests that the repeated inhalation of hot toxic fumes (from both the heroin and its adulterants or contaminants) can cause:⁵

• Increased inflammation in the lungs.
• Inflammation-related production of excessive mucus that can lead to oxidative stress, bronchitis, and damage to the lung’s tiny air sacs that impact the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. 

Researchers believe these are some of the reasons why people who smoke heroin are at risk of developing emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which may be worse than the COPD seen in tobacco smokers.⁵

Effects of Snorting Heroin

Snorting heroin, the action of inhaling heroin through one’s nose, can cause serious damage to the nose and nasal cavities. Other effects have been reported as well.² 

Effects associated with snorting heroin include:^2,6

• Damage to the mucus membranes inside the nose and oral soft tissues.
• Nasal septum perforation (a hole between the nostrils inside the nose).

Effects of Shooting (Injecting) Heroin

Shooting (injecting) heroin is dangerous and puts a person at particular risk for several conditions that can lead to life-threatening medical emergencies. Some potential health risks and consequences of chronic heroin injection include:^2,7

• Scarred or collapsed veins.
• Infection of blood vessels and heart valves.
• Skin abscesses.
• Wound botulism.
• Necrotizing soft tissue infections.
• Brain abscess.
• Meningitis.
• Clogged blood vessels (embolisms) in the lungs, heart, or other organs.
• Immune reactions that lead to arthritis.
• Blood-borne infections, such as Hepatitis B and C, or HIV.
• Damage to veins causing chronic edema (swelling).

Depending on a person’s individual medical history, use of other drugs, or risky behaviors, additional health issues may become more likely.

Risk of Heroin Overdose

An overdose on heroin can quickly cause death by depressing a person’s breathing and heart rate. Adding to overdose risks in recent years, heroin supplies are increasingly being cut with fentanyl, an even more potent opioid. Buyers are often unaware of the fentanyl content, and it is impossible to tell how much fentanyl is in a sample, which has increased the occurrence of overdose deaths.^8,9

Naloxone works by binding to opioid receptors and can reverse all symptoms of an opioid overdose if given quickly enough. Naloxone is available without a prescription from pharmacies in many states, allowing non-medical personnel to help in an overdose situation.^8,10

However, the medication wears off in less than 2 hours, sometimes as quickly as 30 minutes depending on the amount and potency of opioids taken. So, it is important to get the person medical help and monitor them closely, even if naloxone has been administered.¹⁰

Heroin Rehab in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

If you or a loved one is struggling with heroin addiction, evidence-based treatments can help. Greenhouse Treatment Center is an inpatient rehab near Dallas, Texas, that offers a variety of ways to treat addiction. Our caring professionals can help tailor a treatment plan designed to meet your individual needs.

Call one of our admissions navigators to discover ways to pay for rehab, check your insurance coverage, and start the admissions process. Freedom from heroin is possible. Contact us to begin the road to recovery today.