Our hearts are susceptible to a lot. Treating it well takes a lot of work, and goes beyond just not abusing substances. It takes dieting, exercise, and a strong will. It’s not a big surprise that drug and alcohol addiction does the exact opposite of contribute to positive cardiovascular health. Most addicts understand that there is a physical toll to abuse of drugs and alcohol on their bodies, but it’s not always well understood just how much it can change a person.
Different types of addiction can take dramatically different turns on our hearts and bodies. Some types will slow our hearts to the point of stopping entirely, while others will speed it up so fast that our bodies can’t compensate. As addiction gets worse and more substance is required to reach the ideal high, our hearts have to work more and more to return to normality.
Overdose
Before we dive into short and long-term effects of drug and alcohol use, we also want to talk about what happens when the point of overdose is reached. Because the heart is often a big part of overdoses alongside the brain, we view it as important to understand the extreme scenarios as well.
The Heart and Stimulants
Some of the biggest offenders of the stimulant category are cocaine and methamphetamines. Most are familiar that it increases heart rate almost immediately when consumed. That may not seem like such a big deal when considered on its own, what comes in combination is what starts to be the problem. As heart rate increases, your blood veins and capillaries narrow, and blood pressure increases in order to compensate for weak blood flow. Your heart will begin to pump harder, and the “cycle” repeats.
This “cycle” is how things begin to become dangerous and the overdose threshold can be reached. The heart can become so overworked that it’s possible it will shut down entirely. Stimulant overdose is particularly deadly, as many don’t survive it. Those that do (and even frequent users who don’t overdose at all) experience long-term problems such as their veins hardening, which can eventually result in heart disease and blockage. Other irregularities such as arhythmic heartbeat and heart inflammation. Regardless of the type of long-term effect, each results in pain or death.
The Heart and Opioids
Like we’ve discussed in the past, opioids are drugs that are currently seeing a drastic rise in usage. Heroin and painkillers such as oxycodone and fentanyl are the largest offenders of frequent opioid users. Whereas stimulants speed up our heart and other body functions significantly, opioids tend to do the opposite and slow them down. However, a key difference is opioids do not do as significant damage to the heart as stimulants do right at the moment of usage.
Though short-term effects specifically on the heart are less pressing in moderation, there are serious concerns for long-term and overdosage problems. The connections of the heart are worked by a sort of “electrical” system in order for it to function properly. Opioids wear and break these connections down, which can result in coronary artery and congestive heart disease.
Finally, opioids are easy to overdose on. In a similar fashion to the “electrical” system of the heart, your body has receptors that communicate to one another and allows our body to function properly. When opioids are consumed, all of these receptors are activated and the body slows down physical functions. When enough is consumed, overdose can occur when breathing slows down to a stop.
The Heart and Depressants
As most of us know, alcohol is the depressant most commonly abused by addicts. Similar to stimulants, alcohol and other depressants can cause a rise in heart rate and blood pressure when consumed. The effects are not as extreme as stimulants and typically not a risk in a single setting. Those engage in regular, chronic drinking experience a sustained heightened heart rate and blood pressure. Individuals who consistently experience this are at risk of stroke or a heart attack due to hardening of the arteries.
Down a different yet similar vein, those that engage in binge drinking are also at an increased risk of heart failure or disease. More specifically, regular binge drinking can alter how our brain functions and slow down or speed up the pulse of our hearts. When arrhythmia develops, we are put at increased risk to blood clots, and again heart attacks and strokes. Those who engage in regular binge drinking are compounding these two avenues of alcohol abuse.
Finally, depressants are a sedative. When we take sedatives, our bodily functions slow down and we experience less stress and anxiety. It’s the reason alcohol has become synonymous with instilling a sense of confidence. When you’re experiencing “confidence,” you’re really just feeling the effects of your body slowly shutting down. After enough depressants are consumed, overdose can result in respiratory failure, coma, or outright death.
A final disclaimer: if you think you or someone you know is at risk due to usage of any of these categories, please get a professional involved. Acting reactively before the worst occurs can save a life. Treatment is always available, no matter the case. Taking the first step towards recovery will be the first step towards a better life.
Created specifically for those who have loved ones that struggle with addiction.