Effects and Risks of Heroin Use

Using heroin can harm a person’s health and well-being, possibly leading to addiction, overdose, and other devastating consequences. While any form of use is risky, different methods of heroin use may present additional dangers.^1,2 Keep reading to learn more about the effects of heroin use, heroin overdose, and how to find treatment for heroin addiction near you.

Immediate Effects of Heroin

Heroin is a highly addictive and illegal opioid drug that people typically inject, smoke, or snort.^1,3 Regardless of how it is used, heroin can cause immediate, short-term effects, including:⁴

• Warm flushing of the skin.
• Dry mouth.
• Heavy feeling in the arms and legs.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Severe itching.
• Drowsiness.
• Clouded mental functioning.
• Slowed heart rate and breathing, which can lead to coma or death.

People often want to keep using heroin to experience the same “rush” or intense feelings of euphoria associated with the drug. But over time, heroin use can lead to addiction, as well as various long-term heroin dangers.^1,2,4

Additional Health Risks of Heroin Use

Regular or repeated heroin use can result in a variety of health issues and medical complications. The long-term effects of heroin use may include:^2,3,7 

• Constipation.
• Stomach cramps.
• Liver disease.
• Kidney disease.
• Pneumonia.
• Tuberculosis.
• Deterioration of white matter in the brain, which can impact decision-making, behavior regulation, and stress response.
• Mental health disorders, such as depression or antisocial personality disorder.
• Sexual dysfunction.
• HIV, AIDS, or other infections.

Among the most significant risks of chronic heroin use is dependence and, ultimately, the development of addiction, which is clinically known as a heroin use disorder. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive substance use and drug-seeking behaviors despite significant negative consequences. When a person develops a heroin addiction, they prioritize heroin use over all other areas of their lives.^2,7

Dependence is a physiological adaptation that can occur from long-term heroin use. People who are dependent on heroin will develop heroin withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly cut back or stop their heroin use.²

Withdrawal symptoms can be very uncomfortable and may include:²

• Restlessness.
• Muscle and bone pain.
• Insomnia.
• Diarrhea.
• Vomiting.
• Cold flashes with goosebumps.
• Involuntary leg movements.

Some of these symptoms can last for months after a person stops using heroin. People may continue to use heroin just as a way of avoiding these symptoms, which fuels the cycle of addiction.^2,8

But heroin doesn’t just pose long-term risks to the person who uses it, it also affects the people in that person’s life and society as a whole. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), heroin use is associated with many medical and social consequences of drug use, including crime and violence, as well as disruptions in family life, workplaces, and schools.¹ 

In addition to the risks mentioned above, different methods of use can also present various effects and dangers.⁷

Effects of Smoking Heroin

Smoking highly pure heroin is a common method of use for new heroin users because it is not associated with the stigma of injection. Whether a person has only started using the substance or has developed a chronic habit, smoking heroin can be very risky and negatively impact a person’s respiratory, nervous, and circulatory systems.^9,10

Effects of smoking heroin include:^2,10,11

• Fluid in the lungs.
• A breakdown of muscle tissue.
• Heart damage.
• Breathing problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• An increased risk of heroin use disorder due to the rapid effects on the brain caused by smoking heroin.

Effects of Snorting Heroin

As with smoking heroin, snorting or inhaling it is another common method of use, especially among those who are new to the substance, because it does not involve injection.⁹

Specific effects of snorting heroin include:^7,12

• Nasal pain.
• Runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• A perforated septum (a hole in the bone that separates the nostrils).
• Damaged tissue inside the nose and soft palate.
• Sores in the back of the throat.

Effects of Injecting Heroin

Injecting—also referred to as “shooting”—heroin can pose a variety of risks specifically associated with this method of use, particularly an increased risk of overdose and of HIV or other blood borne illnesses. In addition, street heroin often contains different additives or contaminants that the body cannot easily absorb, resulting in clogged blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or cell damage in the body’s vital organs.⁷ 

Other effects of injecting heroin can include:^2,7 

• Scarred or collapsed veins.
• Bacterial infections of blood vessels or heart valves.
• Abscesses or boils.
• Soft tissue infections.
• Immune reactions to contaminants, which can lead to arthritis or rheumatological problems.
• An increased risk of heroin addiction.

Heroin Addiction Treatment in Mississippi

If you or a loved one is struggling with heroin addiction, treatment can help. At Oxford Treatment Center, our inpatient rehab in Mississippi offers individualized, evidence-based therapies and different levels of rehab to suit all needs.

Call us at to learn more about your treatment options and rehab admissions. Our caring admissions navigators can also answer any questions you may have about drug rehab insurance coverage and how to pay for addiction treatment.

When you’re ready to reach out, we’ll be ready to help you begin the path to recovery and regain control of your life.