No matter how you cut it, cocaine is a harmful drug. Take it from almost 1.4 million current cocaine users in the United States. It gives users an intense, short-lived high at the beginning, immediately followed by depression and a craving to consume even more of the drug.
What most cocaine users don’t realize is that this drug is often tampered with and has additional drugs combined with it to make it more addictive. Chronic cocaine use is detrimental to users and can create long-lasting effects on your body.
Respiratory Problems
Because cocaine is such a powerful drug, it leaves users open to several respiratory problems. Some of these include hemorrhages and swelling in the lungs and increase in your likelihood of asthma and bronchitis.
Nose and Mouth Damage
A common way of ingesting cocaine includes snorting the drug. This leads to common nosebleeds, an insatiable runny nose, and chronic cocaine sinus infections. You might even lose your sense of smell entirely. While the structure of your nose will definitely suffer due to the drug, more severe damage may include the total collapse of the nose.
Your nose won’t be the only place you see changes. Cocaine makes it difficult to swallow and speak. Some users have even found that the roof of their mouth has deteriorated, which makes it hard to consume food.
Brain Damage
Cocaine stands in the way of the human brain’s ability to process chemicals. This is a natural process done by the brain, and when this drug hinders the way the brain works, you’ll feel like you need more and more cocaine just to feel like your normal self.
Over time, your dependence on cocaine will heighten, causing you to use more than usual just to find enjoyment in everyday activities. You also might experience brain bleeds or bulges in blood vessels, which could eventually lead to a higher risk of stroke or seizure.
Cardiovascular Damage
Not only does cocaine result in short term damage to your cardiovascular system, including high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, but you’ll also experience long last effects. These include intense chest pain and aorta ruptures.
As a result, many cocaine users find themselves making trips to the hospital fearing they’re experiencing a true heart attack. While many cases don’t result in a true heart attack, it does increase your risk, which is why all symptoms should be taken seriously.
Chronic Cocaine Use Isn’t Worth the Risk
Even though cocaine can be prescribed by medical professions for health treatments, the negatives effects of the drug far outweigh any health benefits. Chronic cocaine use comes with an array of health risks that are not reversible.
If you’re struggling with cocaine addiction and want to break the cycle once and for all, consider all the benefits of living a drug-free life that is much more beneficial to your overall health. Learn more about various recovery skills and how to overcome a cocaine addiction.
