Addiction and immune system
Consistent, prolonged, and excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs can weaken your immune system, making you more likely to get sick, struggle to fight off infections, develop sepsis, and are more prone to viral infections passed through blood or body fluids.
Healing addiction and immune system weakness is possible..
Drugs affect your body in various harmful ways. Substance abuse affects several body systems, and each drug affects the body differently. The individual impacts of substance use will usually vary from person to person. How a particular drug may impact you depends on several factors unique to you, including your overall health, body size, the type and amount of the drug, and whether you are consuming alcohol or taking other drugs simultaneously.
It is also important to remember that drugs have both short and long-term physical and psychological effects. The most significant impact of addiction is overdose or death. Statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show more than 70,000 Americans died from a drug-involved overdose in 2019.
Although various drugs have different effects, several side effects of short- and long-term substance use are often seen regardless of one’s substance of choice. Substance use affects virtually every organ and system in the human body to varying degrees.
Your immune system is vital in protecting your body from illness and disease. It works invisibly to help ward off toxins and filter everything that enters your body. Your immune system is comprised of a collection of organs, proteins, and cells. The U.S National Library of Medicine explains the three key ways this complex system works.
When pathogens do not adversely impact body responses, your body functions (including its immune response) will run smoothly. But, when it encounters toxins, bacteria, and other pathogens, it can weaken your body’s ability to counter the effects of foreign invaders. This is when illness and disease can take hold.
The risk to your immune system does not necessarily come from alcohol or a specific drug. Instead, your immune system is weakened by the effects ongoing substance use and abuse have on the various systems in your body. Most substances cause a range of physical symptoms, including dietary change, sleeping problems, dehydration, and a host of other physical and mental health complications. All of the above can lead to a weakened and poorly functioning immune system.
The National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that “excess alcohol consumption may lead to immune deficiency, causing increased susceptibility to certain diseases.” Chronic, prolonged alcohol use and abuse may lead to several health impacts directly or indirectly connected to a weakened immune response.
While alcohol abuse can harm your immune health in several ways, so can other types of drugs.
As with many opioid drugs, heroin use may result in addiction. When a person becomes addicted, they think only about obtaining and using heroin. This fixation can cause a person to neglect personal health, such as sleep and food needs, resulting in a weakened immune system. As with alcohol use, heroin use may also affect your digestive system, causing a lack of proper nutrition and a weakened system.
The Endowment for Human Development organization states, “cocaine users are more likely than nonusers to suffer from HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and other infections.” This is due to the impact of cocaine use on the individual’s immune system. Cocaine is a stimulant drug that disrupts the function of a critical protein system component. Without the operation of this protein, the body is not as effective at fighting disease as it would typically be.
As the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains, “morphine works to suppress the immune system through a “brain-to-body” pathway. Addictive prescription drugs like morphine sets off a “chain reaction,” which ultimately leads to the suppression of three different types of white blood cells.”
This psychoactive drug has a negative impact on a variety of body cells, including those in the immune system. Marijuana use reduces the body’s ability to fight viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa-related diseases. The immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells might be impaired due to its diminished capacities.
The immune system is the most complex system in the human body and, indeed, one of the most important. It identifies and neutralizes harmful pathogens and keeps our bodies healthy. Excessive alcohol and drug use can damage the liver, which is crucial in triggering your immune system’s response. Drug and alcohol abuse can also significantly affect the immune system by reducing and suppressing white blood cell production. White blood cells are the body’s main line of defense against illness and disease–the potential dangers of which are apparent.
Compound the above with an increased risk of malnutrition (the most significant cause of immunodeficiency), and you have a recipe for a weakened immune system.
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Drug and alcohol addiction can impair the immune system by disrupting the body’s ability to produce white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections. Long-term substance abuse can also lead to inflammation and increase the risk of infections and chronic illnesses.
Yes, recovery from addiction can help restore immune function over time. By eliminating harmful substances and adopting healthier habits, the body can begin to repair damage to the immune system, improving overall health and resistance to illnesses.
A compromised immune system can leave individuals more vulnerable to infections, including respiratory illnesses, hepatitis, and HIV. It can also prolong recovery from common illnesses and contribute to the development of long-term health conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
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