Sniffing Glue: Serious Health Risks And Side Effects - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeHow Sniffing Glue Affects Your Health

Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — Written by James Roland — Updated on August 8, 2018

Health risks
Symptoms
Glue-sniffer’s high
Treatment
Summary

Sniffing glue high

Sniffing glue is a cheap, but dangerous way people have used to get high for many years. Solvent glue is one of many common substances that fall under the category of “inhalants.” Others include:

aerosol sprays
cleaners
other household chemicals

Common forms of solvent glues include model glue and rubber cement.

Inhalants are typically used by adolescents as a cheaper and more easily accessible alternative to marijuana and other drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that inhalants are the only class of substances used more by younger teens than older teens.

Dangers of sniffing glue

Sniffing glue can be life-threatening. Even if the result isn’t fatal, the risks associated with glue and other inhalants include possible brain damage and severe breathing problems.

Your experience with sniffing glue may be much different than another person’s. In addition, the effect of one glue-sniffing attempt could be more or less severe than earlier or subsequent experiences.

The following includes some of the more serious risks and dangers of sniffing glue.

Acute respiratory failure

Acute respiratory failure is a potentially fatal condition that can occur when something impairs your ability to breathe or directly affects your lungs. This prevents a sufficient amount of oxygen from reaching the rest of the body.

The use of glue and other inhalants, as well as excessive alcohol consumption, are all possible causes of acute respiratory failure. Ongoing drug and alcohol abuse, as well other lung problems can also lead to chronic respiratory failure, a condition in which the body can’t take in enough oxygen over time. In serious cases, chronic respiratory failure can lead to coma.

Brain damage

Sniffing glue and other inhalants — especially those that include the solvents toluene and naphthalene — can damage the myelin sheath, the thin covering around the nerve fibers in the brain and the rest of your nervous system. This damage can cause long-term harm to brain function, causing neurological problems similar to those seen with multiple sclerosis.

Heart rhythm disturbances

Exposure to the chemicals in glue can lead to an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). In some cases, the abnormal rhythms can lead to fatal heart failure. This is known as sudden sniffing death syndrome (SSDS), and it can occur from just one attempt.

Other serious health risks associated with sniffing glue include:

seizures
liver damage
kidney damage
choking (often from vomit)
injuries resulting from impaired judgment, such as falls or car accidents

Unhealthy symptoms of sniffing glue

In addition to serious health complications, there are also short-term symptoms and consequences of sniffing glue. Among them are:

chemical odor on clothes and breath
glue-sniffer’s rash — a rash around the mouth that extends to the middle of the face
headaches
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
abdominal pain
mood swings and belligerence
appearing intoxicated
decline in thinking skills, concentration, and decision-making ability
loss of interest in normal activities
damage to personal relationships
numbness
tingling in hands and feet
loss of coordination
fatigue
hearing loss
apathy
impaired judgment
loss of consciousness

Are there any benefits?

The “high” you can get from sniffing glue or inhaling other chemicals may cause a temporary sense of euphoria or hallucinations. However, these feelings only last a few minutes and aren’t worth the risks to your health.

Inhaling glue and other chemicals is dangerous and should never be attempted.

Treatment of glue-sniffing addiction

If you or your child is sniffing glue and may be addicted to the practice, formal addiction treatment may be helpful.

Physical examination

Treatment usually starts with a thorough physical examination, checking for:

brain and central nervous system damage
heart rhythm disturbances
liver damage
kidney damage
lung problems

The chemicals in glue and other inhalants can stay in the body’s fatty tissues for weeks, meaning there may be residual effects long after a person’s last experience with the substances.

Neurological testing

Neurological testing is also critical in planning a treatment program. Doctors will need to see if there are any permanent injuries to brain function and memory. A person’s mental and emotional health will also need evaluation by a trained therapist.

Therapy sessions

If the person sniffing glue is a student, treatment may include therapy designed to help them deal with peer pressure and find a peer group that will provide a more positive influence.

Avoidance of inhalants and other drugs is a primary goal of treatment. Young people in treatment also learn basic life skills to help them focus on their future and make healthy decisions.

Therapy sessions may include group work, as well as music and art. Recreational activities that involve physical action and multisensory stimuli can be especially helpful. Other forms of treatment may include individual talk therapy, peer support groups, family therapy, and relapse prevention education.

Talk therapy may take the form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps you think differently about situations (such as understanding the reasons why you’re turning to inhalants or other drugs), so that your feelings about those situations and your behaviors will change.

An inhalant user’s attention span may be limited, especially early on in therapy. For that reason, therapy sessions may be limited to 15 or 30 minutes at a time. Expect a rehabilitation program to last longer than one month, partly because the chemicals can remain in the body for long periods.

Online therapy options

Read our review of the best online therapy options to find the right fit for you.

The takeaway

Sniffing glue, huffing, and other types of inhalant use can cause short-term and long-term health problems, and even death.

If you’re curious about the effects of glue sniffing, talk to a doctor, your parents, or a school counselor. You may benefit from exploring the reasons for your curiosity.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Ashton JR. (2007). Sniffing glue is still apublic health problem in adolescence. DOI:https://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Fjech.2006.048892
Bouchatta O, et al. (2016). Acute and chronicglue sniffing effects and consequences of withdrawal on aggressive behavior. DOI:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26969766
Dangers and effects. (2018).http://www.consumered.org/learn/inhalant-abuse/dangers-effects
Huffing paint: Signs and symptoms. (2018).https://americanaddictioncenters.org/inhalant-abuse/huffing/
Inhalants: Guidelines (2018).http://www.inhalants.org/guidelines.htm
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Inhalant abuse: Isyour child at risk?https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/inhalant-abuse/art-20044510
What are inhalants? (2012).https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/inhalants/what-are-inhalants

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Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — Written by James Roland — Updated on August 8, 2018

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