Bodybuilders do take steroids to get bigger faster, but steroid side effects cannot be ignored. The term steroid is associated with a class of drugs meant to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Steroids do have several uses for medical purposes, like maintaining sexual characteristics in males following surgery for removal of testes following testicular cancer, in adolescent males suffering from malfunction of the pituitary gland, and also following surgery and cancer that does involve loss of muscle tissue. These drugs are used for supporting reproduction, regulating one’s metabolism, and supporting immune functions. It is also used for increasing muscle mass, bone mass, inflammation, and other medical conditions.
Corticosteroids happen to be a class of strong anti-inflammatory drugs that can be used to control severe swelling and certain types of pain.
Corticosteroids are considered to be a class of strong anti-inflammatory drugs that can be used to control severe swelling and certain types of pain.
They act like steroids that occur naturally in one’s body. Corticosteroids help alter the immune response by controlling inflammation, which can cause pain and also decrease movement.
Corticosteroids are often used by people who suffer from chronic pain conditions. Some people take them for chronic swelling of the joints and tendons. Corticosteroids are frequently used to treat flare-ups or even episodes of acute pain associated with long-term conditions. They can be prescribed for:
- Osteoarthritis
- Synovitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Tendonitis
Steroids side effects
Brain:
Studies do highlight a pattern between high testosterone levels and aggressive behavior involving violent acts. Steroids are used to control a person’s aggressive behavior. High-dose users have also been affected by psychotic syndromes and a high level of anxiety. Other effects that do appear are sleep disturbances, feelings of euphoria, high levels of paranoia, various stages of depression, with a few users suffering extreme mood swings, and also changes in their personalities. A large number of users tend to become dependent on steroid use, which can lead to addiction.
Face:
Steroid use results in high levels of water retention (oedema), leading to the user becoming “round-faced” with puffy cheeks. According to female reports, it can cause the growth of facial hair, bad breath, the voice of females becoming husky, etc. Steroids commonly affect the skin of the face and body by causing acne.
Eyes:
Long-term use of steroids can damage the eyes, causing eye infections, cataracts, or glaucoma.
Hair:
Male pattern baldness is indeed common in both females and males due to the conversion of high levels of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, thus causing the hair follicles to shrink, causing permanent baldness.
Heart:
Steroid use causes heart disease and becomes evident due to high total cholesterol levels. This can lead to strokes. Blood pressure does increase, and blood clots in blood vessels disrupt the blood flow, causing damage to the heart muscle and leading to heart attacks.
Stomach:
Normal signs of problems to the stomach from steroid use do include feelings of being bloated, a feeling of being nauseous leading to bouts of vomiting with blood sometimes reflecting in the vomit caused by irritation to the stomach lining, and increased stomach acids with a lower level of stomach mucus.
Kidneys:
The kidneys are necessary to eliminate waste material from the blood and regulate salt and water levels. They also regulate blood pressure; high blood pressure damages the blood vessels and filtering system of one’s kidneys. Kidney problems do occur with the use of oral steroids. The kidneys have to work harder with oral steroid use due to increased requirements to filter one’s blood.
Liver:
The liver, the largest organ of the body, helps filter harmful toxins from the blood and is useful for the storage of certain nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. It helps manage levels of chemicals like proteins, cholesterol, and sugars. Steroid use causes irreversible liver damage and cancer.
Conclusion
Steroid side effects are serious.
