[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”HEROIN EFFECTS” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Heroin is a highly addictive, illegal substance. Once taken it affects the dopamine neurotransmitter, causing a sensation of pleasure. This sensation is accompanied by other effects like numbness, vomiting, and slowed breathing and heart rate.
WHAT IS HEROIN
Heroin is derived from the opium poppy, a plant that grows in Mexico, South America, and Asia. Pure heroin appears white in color and may be snorted or smoked. This form is often more appealing to new drug users who attach a stigma to injecting drugs.
Cut heroin usually has a brown tinge and added impurities like sugar or starch. Black tar heroin is black and tar like or hard, like a rock. The most common way to use heroin is to melt it and inject it into the veins. Regardless of the way heroin is taken, it works fast and affects the brain quickly.
WHAT IT DOES
Heroin activates mu-opioid receptors in the brain by binding itself to them and converting back into morphine. Dopamine neurotransmitters in our body also attach to the receptors, and when the morphine activates them, they stimulate the release of dopamine.
The results vary depending on a number of factors such as the amount taken, how strongly it binds to the body, where it binds in the body, and how quickly it arrived at the receptor.
Users report feeling a surge of pleasure that is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, numbness, and heavy arms and legs. Nausea, vomiting, and severe itchy skin may also accompany these feelings.
After the initial rush, the user usually feels drowsy for hours with clouded mental functions and slowed heart rate and breathing, which can lead to coma, brain damage, or death.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Heroin addicts that abused the drug over a period of time have been found to have changes in the physical structure and physiology of their brain. This can create imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that is not easily reversed.
Deterioration of the brain’s white matter has also been linked to heroin use. This can affect the user’s decision making, behavior, and response to stress. Long-term use will also lead to tolerance, requiring more of the drug for the same high, which increases the likelihood of an overdose.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug. The effects of its power are almost immediate, and the long-term consequences can be devastating. The best way to avoid the negative effects of heroin is to avoid using it in any way.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
