How heroin damages human body

Originally published on February 5, 2014

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The recent death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has again raised the alarm about the dangers of taking heroin, a highly addictive drug derived from the opium poppy.

Heroin can be administered in different ways, but injection is said to be the most popular among addicts.

While heroin seems to have an uplifting effect on one's mind in the short term, the chemical disrupts the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter which controls the emotions.

In normal brains, neurons containing dopamine travel along nerve fibers to nerve cells to the nucleus accumbens and then the frontal region of the cerebral cortex.

However, if one grows accustomed to heroin, the brain gradually loses the ability to produce natural neurotransmitters. As a result, addicts' mood will be dulled, as they can no longer feel well, happy or even sad.

Regular use of heroin can also lead to arrhythmia, meaning the heart will beat at an irregular rate. The heart may not be able to pump enough blood around the body, disturbing the normal operation of the brain and other organs.

Intake of heroin can also cause an abnormal accumulation of fluids in the air sacs of the lungs, a condition known as pulmonary edema. Sufferers find it hard to breathe as the normal flow of oxygen is reduced.

With unhygienic injections, heroin addicts are also susceptible to all three kinds of hepatitis, each caused by a different virus.

This animation explains the effects of heroin on the human body.

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