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One of the most concerning things about addiction to inhalants is that inhalants are not illegal products. In fact, they are commonly used household and industrial products. A few of them might be lying around in your house at present!
Spray paints, hair spray, gasoline, nail polish remover, paint thinner, air fresheners, cleaning solutions, glues, felt-tip markers, and more – you name it and there is an inhalant around you!
You need not buy them through drug peddlers and sneak them into the house. You can visit your nearest departmental store and confidently ask for a paint thinner or gasoline. Who’s going to stop you?
That’s where lies the scary thing about inhalant addiction. Inhalants are not drugs. They are everyday use products. Buying or possessing them does not raise eyebrows or land you in legal trouble.
Categories of inhalants
- Volatile solvents
- Aerosols
- Gases
- Nitrites
Most commonly abused inhalants are those that contain aromatic hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and nitrites.
What do inhalants do to you?
Inhalants slow down the function of central nervous system and the brain. Certain solvents produce feelings akin to getting drunk. Some of them give you pleasurable feelings and a kind of “high.”
Short-term/sudden effects of inhalant abuse
- Double vision
- Slurred speech
- Memory problems
- Blackout
- Seizure
- Death
Long-term effects of inhalant abuse
- Pain and numbness in hands and feet
- Loss of vision
- Peripheral neuropathy that leads to weakness
- Reduced control over muscle movements
- Diminished cognitive abilities
- Damage to kidneys
- Dementia
If you or your loved one is abusing inhalants, please call the hotline for addiction today. Seek help before it’s too late.
Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome (SSDS)
SSDS is a horrible thing that may happen to anybody indulging in huffing (inhaling gases). This activity can cause cardiac arrest, as the gas inhaled shoots up the heartbeats and they become irregular.
SSDS can result with a single or even first-time use of inhalant. This syndrome is usually associated with inhaling aerosols, propane gas, and butane gas.
There is nothing much you can do about this because the death is sudden.
Other dangerous consequences of inhalant abuse
- Convulsions
- Asphyxiation
- Coma
These conditions can permanently damage the brain or lead to death. Please search for “rehab near me” and get immediate help to tackle your or your loved one’s addiction.
Dangers of bagging
Bagging means spraying an inhalant in a bag and then inhaling its fumes. Many addicts wrap the bag over their nose and mouth. Bagging can make you unconscious. If the bag is over your mouth and nose, you may suffocate.
Too much inhaling can also make you vomit. If you vomit and then faint, with the bag still over your mouth and nose, you may inhale your vomit and choke yourselves.
Nebraska drug rehab center treats addicts of inhalants. Before things go out of hand or your addiction puts your life in danger, please seek treatment. With a proper rehabilitation program, chances are high that you can kick your addiction and become sober.
