Effects of Drugs on the Body

The harmful effects of drugs on the body are either temporary or permanent, but they do occur and they occur throughout major organ systems in a person’s body. Below are some drugs and the effects of drugs on the body.

Cocaine

Cocaine can impair the brain’s ability to communicate with the heart and lungs. Seizures and death can occur with cocaine’s effects of drugs on the body. With cocaine use, blood vessels are also affected which puts further stress on the heart and circulatory system. Severely irregular heart patterns, stroke and seizures can result in death due to cocaine use.

Hallucinogens

This groups of drugs cause brain damage, memory loss, confusion and attention span problems. The effects of drugs on the body with hallucinogens sometimes result in life-long “flashbacks”.

Inhalants

Chronic use of inhalants results in brain damage that causes memory problems, lowered intelligence and reduced attention span. Heart failure, liver and kidney damage are other effects of drugs on the body involving inhalants.

Marijuana

Marijuana is damaging to the lungs when smoked because it contains many cancer-causing chemicals. Marijuana can also lead to reproductive problems such as reduced sperm production in men and impaired ovulation in women. The effects of drugs on the body with marijuana use also affect the brain.

Methamphetamines

The external effects of drugs on the body with chronic “meth” use include severe tooth decay, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, paranoia, hallucinations, insomnia and violent behavior. Internal effects of meth use include permanent brain damage, chronic depression, impaired memory, delusions and psychosis.

Opiates

There are many effects of drugs on the body during opiate use but serious complications include infections of the lining of the heart and of the heart valves, skin lesions, lung congestion and the contraction of serious diseases via contaminated needles during intravenous opiate use.

General Patterns

As research continues to be conducted on the effects of drugs on the body, medical and mental health professionals are discovering just how pervasive and harmful the effects of drugs on the body actually are. Many effects are already clear to researchers including the fact that drugs always affect more than one system in the body. And while some effects are temporary, others are permanent. Some effects will result in further health complications and some, unfortunately, will result in the death of the user.