Way Beyond Sniffles: The Long Term Damage from Coke Nose
Have you ever heard someone sniffling at a nightclub or bar, perhaps even with a bit of white powder caked around their nostrils? At times like this, it makes sense to wonder, “What is cocaine nose?”
Redness and irritation are telling signs of someone snorting cocaine. While the redness that comes from reduced blood flow to the many vessels in the nose can be unsightly, the detrimental effects of cocaine addiction are more than just cosmetic. Repeated use of cocaine can lead to a host of very complex health problems for the nose and sinus cavities.
Purpose Healing Center understands that abusing substances is a mental health disorder. But we also recognize that chronic cocaine addiction can have long-term effects on one’s physical well-being. Our commitment is to help all clients overcome their addictions to drugs and improve their mental health. However, we also commit to a holistic approach, making clients aware of how mental well-being commonly connects to a healthier, longer life.
Keep reading for information on how cocaine use can harm nasal health, and how Purpose offers accredited programs of support for those who wish to put down this addictive stimulant.
Is Cocaine Nose Painful?
Some past clients have described that cocaine nose is uncomfortable in the first stages. However, as long-term cocaine addiction continues, the discomfort increases.
A past Purpose Healing Center client, ‘Missy,’ started using cocaine to cope with bipolar disorder during depressive phases; with coke, she was no longer the sad girl on the sidelines but became the life of the party. Missy described the nose pain as uncomfortable for the first few months of her cocaine addiction. She experienced mild pain, sniffles, and upper throat irritation; she compared the feeling to mild respiratory flu. But she enjoyed the increased energy of the cocaine and ignored the signs of a bigger nose problem.
Several months after Missy had become actively addicted, her nasal mucosa was extremely dry, causing sinus problems and nosebleeds. The bleeding seemed to happen at the worst times and in the most awkward places.
A Red Flag Leads to a Choosing Recovery
Fortunately for Missy, her primary care doctor didn’t buy her story that the sinus infections were merely from the hot, dry Arizona weather. They recognized that Missy needed treatment and recommended Purpose Healing Center – the best detox option in the Phoenix area to help her get clean and sober before she had additional complications.
During the time Missy spent at Purpose, she learned about how to manage her depressive symptoms and boost her self-esteem without drugs. Her nose healed well within several months of stopping inhaled cocaine use. She’s now successfully completed treatment and is attending a local NA meeting during ongoing recovery.
11 Ways Snorting Cocaine Can Damage Nasal Health
Cocaine nose describes the damage done to someone’s nasal passages from long-term cocaine use. Several of these can only be reversed with a combination of full recovery plus painful reconstructive surgery.
Here are some of the very severe side effects of ongoing drug use, particularly snorting cocaine:
1) Nasal Congestion and Irritation With Short-Term Use
Cocaine addiction irritates the nasal tissue that lines the passageways of the nose. Irritated nasal lining can cause nasal congestion, dryness, and mild to moderate pain around the nostrils and inside the nose.
2) Cocaine Use Causes the Blood Vessels to Constrict
The redness of the “cocaine nose” happens when blood flow becomes constricted due to snorting cocaine. Like the other symptoms of cocaine nose, this can be mild at first but become worse as the bloodstream to the nose remains limited due to repeat use.
3) Nasal Septum Perforation (Septal Perforation)
Chronic cocaine abuse can erode the nasal septum, the cartilage and bone that separates the nostrils. Septal perforations can lead to a hole (nasal perforation) in the septum. A nasal perforation causes difficulty breathing, chronic nosebleeds, and a whistling sound when breathing.
4) Nasal Deformities (Collapse of the Nose)
Repeated cocaine use can cause nasal structure collapse, leading to visible deformities, such as saddle nose deformity. With saddle nose, the bridge of the nose collapses completely. The only way to reverse the look of a saddle nose is surgery.
This outcome is the most serious side effect of cocaine nose. Extensive damage to the nasal cartilage and bone can result in the total collapse of the nasal structure. Nasal collapse impacts both appearance and function of the nose.
5) Chronic Sinus Infections and Cocaine Addiction
The constant irritation and damage to the nasal mucosa increase the risk of chronic sinus infections, leading to persistent sinusitis. After quitting cocaine use, most clients see less frequent repeat infections.
6) Loss of Smell (Anosmia)
Damage to the nasal tissues and nerves can result in a greatly reduced or complete loss of the sense of smell. The sense of smell may return after stopping cocaine use if the damage isn’t severe. The healing process is gradual and the sense returns as nasal passages heal. However, it can be permanent if the damage is too great.
7) Difficulty Breathing
Damage to the nasal passages and sinuses can cause ongoing breathing difficulties and obstructed airflow through the nose. The lack of oxygen delivered to the brain can exhaust the body and cause brain fog.
8) Oral Health Issues, Another of the Long-term Effects of Cocaine Addiction
Chronic cocaine use can also affect oral health, leading to gum disease, tooth decay, and other dental problems due to the reduced blood supply to these areas. In worst cases, it can lead to the loss of teeth and jaw damage – both of which may require dental surgeries to repair.
9) Palate Perforation
In severe cases, cocaine use can cause a hole to form in the roof of the mouth known as palate perforation. This condition can affect speech and eating.
10) Chronic Nosebleeds
Persistent inflammation of the delicate blood vessels in the nasal passages can cause frequent and severe nosebleeds. The bleeding can be unpredictable, messy, and leave a person feeling embarrassed and generally poor feeling.
11) Facial Structure Deterioration
At its most damaging, extensive use of cocaine can lead to a complete disintegration of the septum and damage to the nose itself, a combination of other side effects listed above. Although rare, one compelling example of this condition is the professional poker player Stu Ungar, whose cocaine abuse contributed significantly to his early demise at the age of 45.
What Constitutes a Diagnosable Cocaine Use Disorder?
Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) is a medical diagnosis that describes the chronic, compulsive use of cocaine. Those who have snorted coke for some time are at an increased risk of certain symptoms. But despite knowing those risks, the person cannot stop using the drug.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), these are the key factors that a doctor weighs when making a Cocaine Use Disorder diagnosis:
Cravings are frequent symptoms when someone with Cocaine Use Disorder tries to stop using the drug. They’ve also developed a tolerance for the drug, thus needing larger amounts of cocaine to get high. When they try to stop using cocaine and comedown, they start to have withdrawal symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, or vivid dreams.
Other complications of continued snorting coke are the physical and psychological problems they may develop. These can include physical issues, such as cocaine nose, repeat infections, a change in appetite, or heart problems. They can also mean depression or becoming addicted to additional substances, such as trying cocaine amplified by fentanyl or other ingredients.
Cocaine users can also have issues getting along with family and friends or engage in life-threatening risky behaviors.
Effective Programs for Cocaine Addiction Treatment at Purpose
Purpose Healing Center is a Joint Commission Accredited treatment center with a holistic and evidence-based approach to treatment for cocaine use disorder and healing cocaine nose. We understand that most of the uncomfortable cocaine nose symptoms will clear up during recovery.
Addiction counseling discovers why someone uses, and medicine can alleviate any withdrawal symptoms from cocaine. We give clients the necessary support to stop using drugs.
Treating Cocaine Use Disorder at Purpose Healing Center means getting the support and help you need from the moment you call us for help to the day you leave the recovery center, ready to lead a clean and sober life.
Depending on the severity of the addiction, we have both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs.
Our Drug Treatment Center Team Coordinates Insurance Benefits
Insurance benefits often cover recovery from cocaine use disorder and the nose conditions that may go along with it.
However, many people don’t know where to seek precise information on what treatment they provide. Our admissions team can help you with this stage of the recovery process. We are in-network partners with most leading insurance plans and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
Need help with pre-authorization of benefits and insurance verification? Grab your insurance card and give us a call now. We provide immediate support by calling the insurance company for you. We’ll seek the fine details and call you back with your approval. You can focus on healing your mind and body – leave those details to us.
Start Recovery from Cocaine Today at Purpose Healing Center
Your struggle with cocaine nose may have started because you inhaled coke and got addicted to the high. But it’s time to put that behind you. Our effective recovery process helps you identify the underlying cause of your addiction to cocaine and helps you stop using it.
We want you – and your nose – to have the full benefits of a life of recovery. We can often accommodate same-day admissions, especially if you are experiencing advanced symptoms of addiction or cocaine nose.
Connect with us today for treatment in Scottsdale or Phoenix – it’s time to start the healing process.
480-579-3319