4 Ways Addiction Hurts Your Health You Don’t Think About

What does addiction do to your health? If you’re struggling with addiction, you’ve probably thought about the effects that alcohol or other drugs can have on you. Most people are aware of the more well known side effects of drug addiction, such as liver disease, various cancers, and fatal drug overdoses, but have you thought about some of the less well-known ways that drugs and addiction impact your overall health? Even if they don’t kill you right away (as in overdoses), alcohol and other drugs can still leave you with long-term lasting damage and impairment of health—which is just one of many important reasons why recovery is so vital. Click here to learn more about what you can expect from drug rehab treatment.

Your Weight

Did you know that drugs and addiction can severely impact your weight? In fact, it’s rare to see an addiction that doesn't impact a person’s weight in some way. It can lead to severe weight loss—some become very skinny; just skin and bones. Or it can cause someone to put on a large amount of weight, which can be just as harmful. You don’t want addiction to lead to obesity.

Respiratory Health

What about your lungs? Did you know that drugs can severely impact your overall respiratory health? The most clear case is the drugs that are smoked or inhaled, such as marijuana or heroin, and of course lung cancer from nicotine addiction. But even other drugs can lead to respiratory damage. And damage to your lungs is often irreversible and, such as with cancer or emphysema, can be fatal.

Sexual Health

Drugs and addiction can lead to sexual dysfunction—for both men and women. For men it can take the form of erectile dysfunction, whereas women can develop vaginal dryness or other problems. For both sexes, addiction can cause a huge drop in libido, leading to a dead sex life.

Heart Health

Your heart is one of your most important organs, and it can be very fragile—particularly where substances like drugs and alcohol are concerned. Any kind of drug can damage your heart, which is why doctors and pharmacists take such care to make sure that their patients stay healthy and manage side effects. Click here to learn about how some drugs can impact your health.

Drug Rehab for Recovery and Regaining Your Health

But what can I do to make sure alcohol consumption or drug use don’t destroy my health? If you think that perhaps your alcohol or drug use might be a problem rather than wait for it to get worse, reach out for help. Drug rehab is the very best option to make sure you leave drinking, drug abuse, or other addiction behind. Serenity Vista is a high-quality, high-value luxury rehab center in Panama, offering you a path to better health. Click here to learn more about how our three month program is a better value than basic rehab in the US or Canada.