Effects of inhalants

 

Small amounts of inhalants can affect you quite quickly, due to their rapid entry into the bloodstream through the lungs.

Immediate effects

Following are some of the immediate and short-term effects that can be experienced when using inhalants:

• Like alcohol, feeling less inhibited, laughting, becoming excited and generally feeling intoxicated are effects felt within 3 to 5 minutes of using inhalants. A sustained 'high' can be achieved by repeated use.
• Your mood can vary from mild excitement to euphoria. Sometimes you may become agitated and uneasy.
• The initial excitement is often followed by drowsiness.
• Inhalants may cause sneezing, coughing, glazed eyes or a runny nose, like having a cold or the flu.
• Inhalants can make people feel sick and have diarrhoea.
• After using inhalants people often have the smell of the product on their breath.
• Nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes, and sores around the mouth and nose.
• People may do reckless or dangerous things after using inhalants, which may cause serious accidents.

These effects are usually over within an hour of inhaling.  Hangovers and headaches may occur after the immediate effects have passed.  Sometimes these last for several days although they are usually less common and less severe than hangovers caused by alcohol.

In greater quantities

If large amounts of inhalants are inhaled, disorientation and lack of co-ordination can occur.  Other possible side effects include visual distortions and even losing consciousness and death.

Short-term use

With short-term use, most products rarely cause damage to the body.  However, some glue sniffers have been admitted to hospital, unable to control their movements or speak properly, and sometimes have convulsions.  Most of these symptoms clear within a few hours.  Some people may experience problems with their breathing passages, but even this improves over time.

Long-term effects

Almost all young people who try inhalants only use them once or twice.  They do not go on to become regular users.  However, some people do use inhalants heavily and frequently, and may experience the following effects:

• Health problems: Long-term users may appear pale, have tremors, lose weight, feel tired and be unusually thirsty. They may also have anaemia, because some inhalants affect the production of blood.
• The lead in petrol, and some of the chemicals in other inhalants, may build up in the body. This irritates the lining of the stomach and intestines and can cause damage to the brain, nervous system, kidneys and liver. Prolonged and heavy use may even cause stupor or coma, problems with breathing, irregular heartbeat and sometimes seizures.
• Impaired thinking: They may also be forgetful and less able to think clearly or logically.
• Irritability: They may be irritable, hostile, depressed or feel persecuted.
• Permanent brain damage is rare, but can occur if people use inhalants heavily for a long period of time.

As well as the other health risks associated with inhaling, chroming, in particular, can cause eye problems.  Blood vessels can burst in the eyes, making them completely red, eventually leading to blindness.

Most long-term effects are not permanent and are reversed if use is stopped.  However, cleaning products, correction fluid and aerosol sprays can cause permanent damage.