Inhalants produce effects similar to alcohol and are created from a diverse group of substances that include volatile solvents, gases, and nitrites that are sniffed, snorted, huffed or bagged. The substances used are found in common household products such as glues, lighter fluid, cleaning fluids, and paint products. Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhaling or sniffing of these substances to get high. Inhalants are often one of the first drugs that an addict abuses, as they are easily accessed and cheap to acquire. Unfortunately, these habit-forming drugs are all too often deadly. At The Ranch PA, our inhalant treatment program will help you or your loved one figure out why escaping from reality with these addictive and life-threatening substances became appealing in the first place. Our well trained and qualified therapists employ a range of progressive treatment techniques that unearth the root causes of addiction and teach the tools and techniques necessary to live a sober and satisfying lifestyle in the world outside rehab. Learn more about inhalants, and find out how you can recover from substance abuse with the help of our small, community-oriented addiction recovery center. The Short and Long-Term Effects of Inhalants Abuse Inhalant users often refer to these dangerous and easily available drugs as moon gas, spray, ames, air blast, bullet, heart-on, highball, hippie crack, huff, laughing gas, medusa, poor man’s pot, quicksilver, poppers, snotballs, whippets, and whiteout. Inhalants work the central nervous system to produce psychoactive, mind-altering effects. The short term effects are similar to anesthetics, as they slow the body’s overall function. Inhaling rapidly absorbs chemicals through the lungs and into the bloodstream, quickly distributing them to the brain and other organs. Within seconds of inhalation, the user experiences intoxication along with other effects similar to those produced by alcohol, including euphoria, dizziness, reduced coordination, hallucinations, delusions, lightheadedness. A single session of prolonged sniffing can cause irregular and rapid heart rhythms and lead to heart failure and death within minutes. Chronic use of inhalants has been associated with a number of serious health problems, including sometimes irreversible damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Glue and paint thinner sniffing can lead to kidney abnormalities, while sniffing the solvents toluene and trichloroethylene causes liver damage. Memory impairment, attention deficits, and diminished nonverbal-intelligence have also been linked with inhalant abuse. Deaths resulting from heart failure, asphyxiation, or aspiration have occurred. Inhalants Rehab at The Ranch PA It is important that inhalant abusers seek a medically-supervised detox, as withdrawal symptoms do occur. Inhalants can lead to weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, depression, and many more serious symptoms if the addict does not receive treatment. In addition, simply quitting without getting help does not address the underlying causes of substance abuse, making it more likely that the individual will relapse into destructive behavior. For more information on inhalants, medically-supervised detox, and/or inpatient residential treatment, call us now at 1-877-548-4794. Photo via
