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Heroin Overdose: Part 1

Heroin is an illegal street drug that is very addictive. This article discusses overdose due to heroin. An overdose occurs when a person takes more than the normal or recommended amount of something, usually a drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful symptoms or death.

In any given year, approximately 0.6% of 15- to 64-year olds in the United States use opiates (heroin or opium). If a user becomes dependent, then that person is between 6 and 20 times more likely to die than someone in the general population.

Where is it found?

Heroin is made from morphine. Morphine is a powerful drug, and it naturally occurs in the seedpods of Asian (opium) poppy plants. Street names for heroin include junk, smack, and skag.

Symptoms of an Overdose

Airways and Lungs

  • No breathing
  • Shallow breathing
  • Slow and difficult breathing

Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat

  • Dry mouth
  • Extremely small pupils, sometimes as small as the head of a pin
  • Tongue discoloration

Heart and Blood

  • Low blood pressure
  • Weak pulse

Skin

  • Bluish-colored nails and lips

Stomach and Intestines

  • Constipation
  • Spasms of the stomach and intestinal tract

Nervous System

  • Coma
  • Delirium
  • Disorientation
  • Drowsiness
  • Muscle spasticity

U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedLine Plus. (Updated 2013, October 21). Heroin overdose. Retrieved April 28, 2015, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

More about this Topics

  • Alcohol and Public Health (Part 4)

  • Effects of Drugs on Health

  • Prepare to quit

  • Heroin Overdose: Part 2

  • Effects of Drugs on Other People

Other Topics

    • Identifying Signs of Addiction in a Loved One
    • Next Steps: Dealing With Addiction in a Loved One
    • Will There Be a Couch? What to Expect From Counseling
    • Club Drugs and Young Adults: LSD
    • Drug Facts: Heroin
    • For Students: Do You Have a Drinking Problem?
    • Putting a Stop to Smoky Thinking
    • A Loved One’s Substance Abuse Problem: What You Can Do