What smoking crack does to the body

The high can last from 5 to 15 minutes, but once the rush abates the user will feel a desire for more of the drug. This leads to a crack addiction.

Short term effects of smoking crack include hyper-stimulation, dilated pupils, constricted blood vessels, aggression, paranoia, increased breathing rate, and intense euphoria. Chemically, crack and cocaine are identical, so they produce closely matching results. The main difference is in the way they are consumed. Cocaine is usually snorted, injected, or swallowed. When cocaine is snorted , it must travel from the blood vessels in the nose to the heart, then to the lungs to be oxygenated, and then the oxygenated blood with the drug is pumped throughout the body, finally reaching the brain.

Crack is smoked, skipping some of this process and going straight to the lungs, giving the user an immediate rush. However, the effects of crack do not last as long. Smoking crack is a fast and easy way to become seriously addicted to the drug. It can destroy your physical and mental health, and even first-time users can have heart attacks and seizures. Some crack addicts are unable to function sexually without the drug.

The opposite is true as well; some crack cocaine addicts are unable to function sexually while using crack cocaine. Many crack users turn to prostitution, stealing, or drug dealing to be able to afford their habit.

Crack and cocaine have been a major factor in many car crashes, burns, falls, drownings, and suicides. Because the drug targets the reward center of the brain, it is possible to become addicted from smoking crack one time.

Some of the long-term effects of smoking crack are:. Make a Call Some signs that you or someone you know is suffering from a crack cocaine addiction are behavioral signs like changes in motivation level, academic performance, social groups, and overall attitude. Other signs include deteriorating relationships with family and friends, depression, hostility, and carelessness with grooming. According to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, smoking crack has a greater propensity for dependence and more severe consequences, compared to snorting cocaine.

After entering into treatment, people who snorted cocaine had better outcomes than smokers. They remained in treatment longer and achieved longer periods of sustained abstinence than smokers. However, there was no difference in how severe the drug negatively impacted their lives.

A national survey states that in American adults 26 and older, 4. Despite the drugs being chemically identical and having similar negative effects on life, many people believe snorting cocaine is somehow better for you than smoking crack. Regardless of the way the drug is consumed, it holds the same dangerous and addictive properties.

Hours before the draft, he died of a drug overdose. The media latched on to this story, upset and focusing on the drug that took away his bright future. The drug suspected was crack cocaine. This urged Congress to pass the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of which mandated a minimum sentence time for certain quantities of cocaine. The problem was the humongous difference in sentencing times for powdered cocaine versus crack cocaine.

If you are struggling to snooze comfortably at Professional athletes may accomplish great physical feats, but that does not mean that they are strangers to addiction. Recovering from substance abuse can be tough. Can fentanyl cause depression? Visit us here to learn more about opioid-induced depressive disorder, its symptoms, and treatment options The Side Effects of Smoking Crack Like many other illicit drugs, smoking crack affects your body and mind in several different ways including both in the long and short run.

The Short-Term Effects of Smoking Crack Many people smoke crack to begin with because of the euphoric rush the crack high provides, but the effects of crack are not positive for everyone. While everyone will have a different crack high experience, the short-term effects of smoking crack can include: Euphoric feeling Increased heart rate Dilated pupils Increased body temperature Loss of appetite Increased energy and alertness Possible anxiety Headaches Nausea Restlessness Sleep problems 1,2 The Long-Term Effects of Smoking Crack Because crack is addictive, people who take this drug for its initial euphoric effects tend to quickly become dependent on it.

Some possible long-term effects of smoking crack include: Heart problems Lung damage and respiratory problems Reproductive problems Damage to kidneys and liver Potential stroke Paranoia and anxiety Psychosis Depression Insomnia Extreme weight loss Crack cravings Cognitive deficits Dependence and addiction 1,2,3 Even though users may start to notice some unhealthy effects of smoking crack cocaine, they often cannot help themselves.

The dangerous immediate effects of smoking crack are:. As if these short term effects are not dangerous enough, many of these lead to long term problems. When people think of drug use they do not always consider the lasting damage that a drug like crack cocaine can do. Some of the long term effects of crack are:. According to the US National Library of Medicine research into the long term effects of crack and cocaine is still ongoing.

There is a lot that researchers still do not know about the long term consequences of this addiction. Addiction to crack cocaine comes with its own dangers. Users describe their first experience with crack as the most profound euphoria that they have ever felt.

Unfortunately, they spend the rest of their time chasing that euphoria. This is because crack starts doing damage the first time that it is used. This is partly the reason why it is so addictive. When they start chasing that high, they forget almost everything else. They become emaciated, their teeth rot, their physical appearance becomes sallow and pocked with sores, and they will do anything to get the drug.

First and foremost, the high begins seconds after the drug is inhaled and will last about 5 to 15 minutes. Effects of crack include hyperstimulation, euphoria, fever, and increased heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The unnatural increases in heart rate and blood pressure put enormous strain on the cardiovascular system, leading to heart and blood vessel damage.

Crack also damages the immune system, making the user more vulnerable to disease. Crack can cause the sensation of bugs crawling under the skin, which will lead users to pick at their skin until they have wounds, which can easily become infected.

Crack abuse also causes users to lose sleep, which leads to a range of negative mental and physical consequences , including preventing the rest a person would need to recover from the damage being done throughout the brain and body. Medical complications will soon develop from using crack. Heart attacks, strokes, and seizures may occur even after just one or two uses and can lead to coma and sudden death.