#CRACK ADDICTION FACTS SKIN#
#CRACK ADDICTION FACTS CRACK#

Other long-term effects of cocaine use include being malnourished, because cocaine decreases appetite, and movement disorders, including ParkinsonвЂ™s disease, which may occur after many years of use. Read more about the connection between cocaine and these diseases in NIDA's Cocaine Research Report. Research also suggests that people who use cocaine and are infected with HIV may be more susceptible to contracting other viruses, such as hepatitis C, a virus that affects the liver. According to research, cocaine impairs immune cell function and promotes reproduction of the HIV virus. Studies have shown that cocaine use speeds up HIV infection. However, even people involved with non-needle cocaine use place themselves at a risk for HIV because cocaine impairs judgment, which can lead to risky sexual behavior with infected partners (see 'Cocaine, HIV, and Hepatitis' textbox).

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needle injection: higher risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne diseases, skin or soft tissue infections, as well as scarring or collapsed veins.

consuming by mouth: severe bowel decay from reduced blood flow.

smoking: cough, asthma, respiratory distress, and higher risk of infections like pneumonia.

snorting: loss of smell, nosebleeds, frequent runny nose, and problems with swallowing.

Some long-term health effects of cocaine depend on the method of use and include the following:

raised body temperature and blood pressure.

Other health effects of cocaine use include: What are the other health effects of cocaine use? The high from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. The high from snorting cocaine may last 15 to 30 minutes. Injecting or smoking cocaine produces a quicker and stronger but shorter-lasting high than snorting. How long the effects last and how intense they are depend on the method of use. Large amounts of cocaine can lead to bizarre, unpredictable, and violent behavior.Д¬ocaine's effects appear almost immediately and disappear within a few minutes to an hour. Some people find that cocaine helps them perform simple physical and mental tasks more quickly, although others experience the opposite effect.

paranoia-extreme and unreasonable distrust of others.

hypersensitivity to sight, sound, and touch.

Short-term health effects of cocaine include: As a result, people take stronger and more frequent doses in an attempt to feel the same high, and to obtain relief from withdrawal. With continued drug use,В the reward circuit may adapt, becoming less sensitive to the drug. This flood of dopamine in the brainвЂ™s reward circuit strongly reinforces drug-taking behaviors. However, cocaine prevents dopamine from being recycled, causing large amounts to build up in the space between two nerve cells, stopping their normal communication. Normally, dopamine recycles back into the cell that released it, shutting off the signal between nerve cells. How does cocaine affect the brain?Д¬ocaine increases levels of the natural chemical messenger dopamine in brain circuits related to the control of movement and reward. People who use cocaine often take it in binges-taking the drug repeatedly within a short time, at increasingly higher doses-to maintain their high.

#CRACK ADDICTION FACTS CRACK#

Some people also smoke Crack by sprinkling it on marijuana or tobacco, and smoke it like a cigarette. This form of cocaine is called Crack, which refers to the crackling sound of the rock as it's heated. The crystal is heated to produce vapors that are inhaled into the lungs. Some people inject a combination of cocaine and heroin, called a Speedball.ДЄnother popular method of use is to smoke cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal (also called 'freebase cocaine'). Others dissolve the powder and inject it into the bloodstream. People snort cocaine powder through the nose, or they rub it into their gums. Increasing numbers of overdose deaths among cocaine users might be related to this tampered cocaine. Adding synthetic opioids to cocaine is especially risky when people using cocaine donвЂ™t realize it contains this dangerous additive. They may also mix it with other drugs such as the stimulant amphetamine, or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Street dealers often mix it with things like cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to increase profits. As a street drug, cocaine looks like a fine, white, crystal powder. Although health care providers can use it for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, recreational cocaine use is illegal.

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America.

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