Dangers of steroids double-edged sword

Corticosteroids are drugs with potent anti-inflammatory effects and is often used to treat arthritis, but little is known of the unintended consequences to health caused by steroids. Share your information to people offline.


Steroids is an endocrine secretion by the adrenal 2 in blood, two glands located just above the 2 kidneys. Normally, steroids help the body fight the emergency situation (pain, infection ...). Steroids are used to treat and prevent many serious diseases.

Treat many diseases?

The steroid is like two-edged knife, but always sharp tongue. It has been a lot of synthetic steroids such as hydrocortisone group, prednisone, betamethasone, dexamethasone, prednisone, methylprednison and widely used, as well involves the abuse of drugs is common.

Corticosteroid treatment is applied to a lot of different diseases: anti-inflammatory at an early stage, late stage no matter what the cause, such as mechanical, chemical, infectious ...; allergies, skin diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; arthritis, immune diseases, inflammatory component immediate; colitis, autoimmune chronic hepatitis and malignant diseases of the blood. Also treat bleeding due to thrombocytopenia immune mechanisms, immune hemolytic ... Because so many uses as many people mistakenly steroids is kind of "magic pill" cure all illnesses.




The unexpected effects

These effects usually occur in the long-term steroid use. Specifically: Causes adrenal insufficiency due to taking steroids from outside the body will inhibit the secretion of adrenal steroids. At that time, the body or fatigue, vomiting, may cause more severe low blood pressure or hypotension. In addition, steroids cause weight gain by keeping salt water, fill out a patient's body, broad shoulders, big belly, shrunken limbs, thin skin easy bruising, cracked skin stomach, hirsutism. The drug also increases blood pressure, diabetes (10% of patients), and cause osteoporosis because of taking steroids for a long time makes bones lose calcium, osteoporosis should be gradually falls prone to fracture. Corticosteroids are prone to kidney stones due to increased calcium excretion in urine, blood potassium in patients with muscle weakness, can arrhythmias. Cortisol reduces the resistance of the body, leading to susceptibility to respiratory tract. May cause harm to the fetus, retarded children as height, causing hypogonadism in men, women may menstrual disorders, peptic ulcers, cataracts, glaucoma. In particular, the drug also causes aseptic bone necrosis, often at the top of the femur; muscle atrophy, mainly buttocks, quadriceps. Neuropsychiatric manifestations of insomnia, bad temper, poor attention, arousal attacks or depression, suicidal ideation. Many acne creams containing steroids if used long term will make acne worse when the drug is stopped or smear the face.

Cushing's syndrome due to drugs

A history of the patient often a case of asthma, arthritis, eczema, autoimmune diseases ... have used steroids or they can use the traditional medicine of unknown composition and origin.

Pictures of the disease is usually quite typical with round, red, focus on body fat, the shoulders, chest, abdomen. Two arms, two legs atrophy, thinning of the skin, subcutaneous hemorrhage marked natural or due to collisions. The hair, beard grows more than before. There may be signs of restlessness, irritability, fatigue, nausea, vomiting ... due to lack of cortisol levels.