What Does Cocaine Do To Your Body
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive substance that can have many effects on your body and one being addiction. Millions of people suffer from cocaine addiction and there has been an epidemic of people abusing the substance over the past few years. Abusing cocaine in large amounts on a daily basis can cause great physical and mental damage to a person, it can be one of the hardest vices to break away from due to how addictive the substance is and the dependency that you can build through taking it regularly where you feel you can’t function without it.
The risk of taking cocaine regardless of your age and your current health is high. If you are someone who suffers from cocaine addiction, there is a high chance that you already know about the dangers & risks that come with abusing cocaine but your addiction forces you to crave more of the substance. It is important to know whether you have only ever taken cocaine a ‘few times’ or you take it every day and that it can certainly impact your overall well-being.
No matter the way that you choose to take cocaine; snorting, injecting or smoking, all of these methods can be damaging to your body. We’ve put together this article today to help you understand more about the dangers of what does cocaine do to your body?
The Dangers Of Cocaine On The Body
When you take cocaine, it will affect your body in several different ways, even if the amount that you take isn’t considered a large amount due to its potency. The risk of taking cocaine when you up the amount taken, even people who take it once in a large amount are prone to the risk of overdose. The bad habit of taking cocaine on a daily basis can build up quickly and become a fully-blown addiction and when your cocaine use has become an addiction, your body will start to be affected.
The damage of cocaine addiction can affect the condition of your heart, breathing patterns and stomach. Cocaine addiction is serious and for that fact, it should be taken seriously by getting treatment to help break free from your cocaine addiction before the worse happens.
Nose
The most popular method of taking cocaine is through snorting it, when you snort cocaine on a regular basis you become at risk of serious damage such as:
- Nosebleeds
- Complications When Swallowing
- Loss of Smell
- Problems With Nasal Septum
- Speech Problems
Snorting cocaine daily over a long period of time, there is a massive risk that your nose can collapse through eroded cartilage through constant use as it damages the tissue that holds together your nostril. Cocaine use through snorting will constrict blood flow to the septum which over time will eventually leave a gaping hole and a distorted overall nose shape.
Breathing
If you smoke cocaine, it can stop needed oxygen from entering your bloodstream which will damage and destroy your oxygen-transporting capillaries. Through smoking cocaine on a regular basis, you will end up having serious issues with your breathing which comes with several health complications which include permanent damage to your lungs, developing asthma, bronchitis and more.
Stomach
A short-term effect that people who consume cocaine will feel is a massive loss of appetite and even nausea. Cocaine addiction, can develop into much more severe stomach pain and increased sickness. Cocaine abuse restricts blood flow to your stomach and intensities which over time can seriously damage and tear and cause ulcers in the lining. Cocaine misuse over an extended period of time can also lead to an inflamed large intestine which is called ischemic colitis.
Heart
When taking cocaine, a user will describe an increase in their heart rate and blood pressure increases. The reason why people experience high heart rates and increased blood pressure through cocaine use is due to the blood vessels in the heart constricting meaning the heart has to work at a much harder rate in order to pump blood around your body. One of the biggest risks that a cocaine addict can suffer from is heart attacks as faster heart rates require more oxygen – this can be deadly if it doesn’t receive the required amount.
People who suffer from cocaine addiction are also at risk of:
- Heart Complications
- Heart Attacks
- Strokes
- Pulmonary Embolisms
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
Misusing cocaine can lead to the arteries and capillaries in your heart hardening aswell which ultimately develops into atherosclerosis. This type of condition can cause heart disease and other serious health issues that could be life-threatening.
How Does Cocaine Affect Your Brain?
Cocaine when taken will start affecting your brain immediately. One of the first things that you’ll start to feel when taking cocaine is a feeling of intoxication, this is a massive reason why people seek out to take out cocaine as a way to ‘unwind.’ However when you start to chase this repeatedly in larger amounts then it will lead to a full-blown cocaine addiction. Once you start abusing cocaine on a regular basis, you will start to up your dose in order to feel these same effects that you had when you first took cocaine as you’ve built up a tolerance to the drug. A high tolerance to a substance will always lead to a dependency where your brain will start to crave cocaine and you feel you have to take it in order to feel ‘normal.’
Cocaine can affect a person psychologically and over an extended period of time, it can create and even worsen any mental health conditions that you suffer from. At the time of taking cocaine, you might feel an initial rush and become more confident but once the effects start to wear off, you will experience a massive crash where you will experience deep anxiety and feel depressed.
If you feel that you are suffering from cocaine addiction or know a loved one who is battling with quitting cocaine, you can benefit from getting support and opening up to seek out help for your cocaine addiction. You never have to go through addiction alone and there is always support through rehabilitation. With the right support, you can start to get back to the healthiest version of yourself and live the life that you dreamed of.
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