Opiates are powerful drugs that alter many aspects of an addict’s physical and psychological state. Additionally, they are highly addictive and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. Even though opiates are painkillers that induce drowsiness, they do not necessarily induce restful sleep. In fact, insomnia and disturbed sleep are two of the many results of opiate […]
Physical Health
How opiate addiction affects an individual’s physical health.
Can Opiates Affect My Memory?
Opiate addiction affects users differently, but one of the most troubling problems is the way it damages memory, especially short-term memory. You may struggle to process information if you abuse opiates, but you can recover if you seek professional help to get and stay clean. (more…)
STDs and Opiate Addiction
In the course of this new millennium, opiate abuse and addiction have continued to rise. The physical effects of opiate abuse can be deadly. Besides the risk involved with the drugs themselves, many risky behaviors are often connected to opiate abuse. These related actions can lead to other diseases, which may also be deadly. (more…)
Opiate Dependence after Surgery
Most patients who go through surgery are given pain-blocking medications before, during and after their procedure. Prescription painkillers are highly effective and allow doctors to fix medical problems that would be far too painful to treat otherwise. These painkillers are often delivered intravenously before and during the procedure. During the recovery process, a lighter dose […]
Hyperalgesia and Opiate Abuse
Opiate drugs block pain. They are prescribed to change how physical pain is experienced, and they are misused or abused to numb physical or emotional pain. Opiates accomplish pain management well at first, but they are not a solution to pain. They do not treat underlying physical or mental health concerns, and as time progresses, […]
Hepatitis and Opiate Abuse
You may think that your chances of getting hepatitis are minimal because you don’t think it is one of the dangers of opiate abuse. Unfortunately, misusing opiates can lead to a number of diseases, from hepatitis to HIV, and the media has broadcast this connection to help individuals prevent these illnesses. If you or someone […]
Effects of Opiate Abuse on the Immune System
An opiate addiction makes life a struggle in many ways. Beyond addiction’s harmful effects on day-to-day life, using opiates impairs the body’s ability to fight off infection and regenerate tissue. People who regularly use opiates (prescription pain relievers (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc.), heroin and morphine) disrupt the body’s natural balance of pain management chemicals. These natural […]
How Education Can Prevent Steroid Addiction
Steroids are synthetic substances that can be taken as a pill, injection or topical treatment. In any of these forms, this drug (technically, anabolic-androgen steroids) mimics the effect of testosterone in the body. Since it increases protein synthesis within the body’s cells, a build-up of cellular tissue results, especially in the muscles. Medically, steroids are […]
Potential High-Dose Risks of Opiates
Since opiates and other opioids are commonly prescribed for relief from severe or chronic pain, there is an inherent temptation to take more than instructed. This is especially true given that the brain develops a tolerance for opiates. Over time, the body requires more and more of these narcotics in order to achieve the same […]
Acetaminophen Overdose and Liver Damage
Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) is an analgesic pain reliever that is used to treat both fever and pain. This drug is often added to opioid painkillers, as in the drug Percocet. However, acetaminophen can be a dangerous drug in its own right. From 1990 to 1998, acetaminophen overdose was responsible for 56,000 emergency room […]