RALEIGH, N.C. — A recent report showed that four towns in North Carolina are in the top 20 for opioid abuse, with Wilmington rated as the worst city for opioid abuse in the nation.
Opioids include drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin that are mostly prescribed for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, but can be extremely addictive.
Those addicted to prescription painkillers are known to often switch to heroin use because heroin is so much cheaper than the prescription medicines, but create a more powerful ‘high.’
CBS North Carolina pulled the numbers and found heroin deaths in our state have skyrocketed more than 584 percent.
In the past, when meth because a national epidemic, many health professionals noted that meth use had serious medical side-effects on a person’s appearance — especially their face. A sheriff’s office began a campaign to educate people about“Faces of Meth.”
Now, a medical help website, has created “Faces of Heroin,” which helps make clear the horrible visible side effects of heroin use or opioid abuse.
New Health Advisor put together a list of physical changes that heroin and opioid abuse can have:
Abscesses – Injecting heroin, especially these that have been mixed with harmful chemicals, can cause painfully sore, horrendously looking abscesses to form on your skin. One glance at what this can look like will be enough to deter most from ever trying heroin.
Cellulite – This is caused by continues piercing of the skin through repetitive intravenous injections.
Scabs on The Skin – Some users, whilst on heroin, may pick at their skin, causing it to bleed and scab up.
Dark Spots – Some users who regularly consume heroin will develop dark spots on their face and body.
Tooth Decay – The use of heroin, especially if smoked, can lead to serious tooth decay in users and in addicts.New Health Advisor contributed to this report
