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Drugs are chemicals that affect our body and brain and body and show these effects in different ways. Side effects of some drugs may wear off as soon as you quit usage. However, the side effects of some drugs may continue to affect one’s life long-term.
Millions of people worldwide suffer from illicit drug disorders. Many of these people end up needing professional help and therapy, yet many also lose their lives to addiction. Of course, people with drug addiction are also at a higher chance of accidents, injuries, and violence.
Everyone can agree that eyes are one of the biggest blessings in our life. Many people with drug abuse problems need medication for their severe eye conditions. An eye exam and a consultation with your primary healthcare provider can help in timely diagnosis and treatment.
Here are a few side effects drug abuse can have on your eyes.
Marijuana
Although medicinal marijuana has gained popularity over time, abusing this drug can still have devastating side effects on your essential organs. Marijuana is known to increase sympathetic nervous activity and increase heart rate.
Whether you use marijuana recreationally or have an addiction problem, every user understands that it can affect short-term memory and affects eye movements. Marijuana abuse can also distort color discrimination and pattern recognition.
Marijuana can lead to receptor desensitization and cause behavioral changes. Over time, people using marijuana are at high risk of getting in trouble with glaucoma. However, timely addiction treatment can help reverse some side effects.
Cocaine
Cocaine is one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs that humankind has ever encountered. As soon as the user intakes cocaine, it prompts changes in pupil size, lid retraction, and reduced corneal sensation.
Whether the user smokes or snorts cocaine, it leads to a condition called the crack cornea. Cocaine acts as the most topical anesthetic. It softens the cornea and reduces the blink reflex that can leave your eye unguarded from dangerous foreign elements.
Cocaine is also well-known for its inflammatory effects that can create orbital complications such as vision loss and retinal vasculature. It starts from crystal-like particles in the inner retinal layers and leads to reduced vision over time.
Heroin
Opiates have been known by humanity for centuries and have been historically used to treat certain diseases as well. However, their high dependence rates have led to well-known abuse, and even being illegal in most states, it is still being used widely.
Heroin can have significant side effects on retinas. One of the most common eye conditions developed from heroin abuse is talc retinopathy. It starts as small white particles in the eyes, leading to retinal ischemia and symptoms of inflammation and infection.
Heroin is also infamous for hindering fetal development. It can lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome. This disorder in infants leads them to experience opioid withdrawal from the opioids use of their carriers.
Heroin also leads to conditions such as abnormal vision, horizontal nystagmus, and delayed visual maturation.
Final Words
Drug abuse is a serious problem that people face worldwide. It can affect major body organs, hinder our perception of time and space, and may lead to death in some cases. If you know someone with drug addiction, try to talk to them and enroll them in a trusted rehabilitation center.
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