Are Drug Rehab Centers NJ Equipped to Deal With Physical Health Problems, Too?

Drug addicts and alcoholics are prone to a wide range of physical illnesses. Their dependencies make them susceptible to infections and sickness. The drugs and alcohol that they are addicted to lower their immune system responses.

Drug rehab centers not only address underlying mental and emotional dependencies on drugs. They also treat physical ailments from which addicts may suffer.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is one of the most common illnesses from which drug users and alcoholics suffer. This disease affects the liver. People with hepatitis often have yellowed skin and eyes and have a jaundiced appearance.

They contract this illness by sharing needles with other drug users. Many types of hepatitis are passed through tainted blood. When people share used needles with other drug users, they are at an increased risk of contracting hepatitis.

Treatment for hepatitis can include:

  • Liver ultrasounds to detect liver failure or damage
  • Antiviral medications
  • Interferon injections

These treatments could be administered alongside individual talk therapy, group therapy, and behavior therapy to address mental health issues from which a drug user or alcoholic might suffer.

HIV or AIDS

Sharing needles also puts drug users at risk of contracting HIV or AIDS. These illnesses lower the body’s immune response and put sufferers at risk of dying from otherwise treatable infections.

If they are detected early, however, they can be treated and kept in remission. Depending on the overall health of the drug addict and the capabilities of the recovery center, these illnesses could be treated with:

  • Integrase inhibitors
  • Entry or fusion inhibitors
  • Protease inhibitors
  • Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

These treatments could help sufferers live longer and healthier lives.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a common ailment contracted by people who abuse alcohol for years. The alcohol compromises the function of this organ. Like people who suffer from hepatitis, people with cirrhosis often have jaundiced appearances and have yellow tints to their skin and eyes.

Cirrhosis is a challenging condition to treat. However, the doctor at the recovery center may prescribe the same medications that are used for hepatitis. If an alcoholic can overcome his or her addiction to alcohol, he or she could be put on a transplant list to undergo a liver transplant.

Recover centers are equipped to treat a variety of physical illnesses in drug addicts and alcoholics. You can find out more about possible treatments available to you or a loved one by calling 833-610-1174 .