Top surgeon issues chilling warning after man burned hole in nose through drug use
Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.
Drug addiction isn't always obvious at first but when it comes to cocaine, there can be one key sign that something is very wrong.
Unfortunately, despite the huge amounts of damage that drugs can do to our bodies, they are becoming more and more commonly used in society, particularly among younger generations.
Although some folks are moving away from alcohol, it seems as if that has been replaced somewhat by narcotics such as weed, ketamine and MDMA, all of which are popular for those heading on a night out.
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Ketamine in particular is leading to significant health issues right now in the UK, but when it comes to Class A drugs, it's cocaine which is perhaps most commonly used by people from all walks of life.
While it can have all sorts of dangerous impact on your heart and brain, it's the nose which gives it away first, and now one former addict has spoken to the Daily Mail about how his addiction forced him into a complete nose reconstruction after snorting the drug burned a hole in his nose.
After he looked into the mirror to see clearly that his whole nose was collapsing, Alan Brown said: "It was clearly visible. A symbol of everything going wrong with my life. I knew I needed help."
Fortunately, world-renowned surgeon Anil Joshi was able to rebuild Alan's face, after using a sliver of rib as well as tissue from behind Alan’s ear in order to restore the nose to its former self.
He has now issued a warning to other cocaine users about the dangers of the drug and the similar situation that they might find themselves in if they carry on using coke.
"When I examine patients’ noses. I can immediately separate cocaine users from non-users. Even if they swear they’ve never used cocaine, I can tell if they’re lying. The evidence is obvious."
Cocaine nose occurs as the drug causes severe damage to the sinuses and nerves inside the nose by restricting the blood vessels and starving the tissue of oxygen. This eventually leads to tissue death, infections, regular nosebleeds and later holes in the septum or complete nasal collapse.
The damage is often irreversible, with patients forced into complex surgery or a prosthetic nose.
The surgeon adds: "With some patients I’ve seen, it’s almost unbelievable. They’re walking around like zombies with a cavity where their nose used to be. Surgically, there’s nothing we can do. The only option is prosthesis: an artificial nose.
"Every week, my colleagues and I see patients with cocaine nasal problems. They’re from all walks of life. It’s more common than people imagine. They’re not oblivious to the dangers, they just get sucked into taking cocaine."
So, if you want to avoid such a severe side effect from your drug use, it's important to get help to ensure that you can stop as soon as possible.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
James Moorhouse