Health is rarely a consideration when we are living in active addiction. Intravenous drug users, specifically, are at a greater risk for these health complications. When we inject drugs, we create the potential for serious damage to our circulatory system that can cause irreversible damage. The circulatory system is a network of organs and vessels responsible for blood flow. When we introduce drugs directly into our blood stream via intravenous injection, we run the risk of permanently damaging the necessary functionality of the system. One of the most obvious ways we can cause damage is by hurting the vein itself. This can be seen by track marks, bruising, or collapsed veins. Collapsed veins, also known as thrombosis, often occurs from injecting into the same vein over an extended period of time. Eventually, the injections damage the inside lining of the vein and create clots that stop blood from flowing. The body compensates by creating new, smaller veins that are unable to transport blood as effectively, leading to poor circulation and subsequent health problems. Injection also changes the body’s ability to properly regulate blood pressure. The combination of blood clotting in the veins and irregular blood pressure creates a major risk for heart-attacks and strokes. Bacteria may be present on syringes, leading to possibly lethal bacterial infections. The circulatory system moves blood throughout the body, causing bacteria to spread to major organs like the heart, liver, or brain. Staph, MRSA, endocarditis, and most frighteningly, necrotizing fasciitis, a potentially lethal flesh-eating infection that requires major medical intervention and antibiotics to treat, are all possible bacterial infections from IV drug use. IV drug use carries the potential for serious viral infections, as well. Hepatitis C is very common among IV drug users, and can cause fatigue, jaundice, liver inflammation, and a fluid buildup in the abdomen. Overtime, Hepatitis C can lead to fatal health complications, such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Many of these health problems can be improved over a period of time without injecting. Some, however, are permanent and fatal, and the risk of acquiring one of these problems grows with every subsequent injection.
Your story doesn’t have to be one of pain and poor health. You can choose to change your story and move toward a better life. Oceanfront Recovery, a men’s treatment facility in Orange County, California, is dedicated to aiding you on your journey toward sobriety. With a variety of individualized treatment program, Oceanfront may be the choice for you. For more information, please call today: (877) 279-1777
