It seems that steroids are constantly in the news, and not just on the sports page. Criminal prosecutions are common and generate headlines and interest. And still it seems most people have only a vague idea of what steroids are.
First, it’s important to differentiate between corticosteroids and anabolic steroids. Corticosteroids are naturally produced in the adrenal cortex area of the brain, and help regulate a variety of processes in the human body, including stress and immune response, levels of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc.), and carbohydrate metabolism.
Steroids that are manufactured (synthetic corticosteroids), such as prednisone and cortisone, are used to treat a variety of medical illnesses, from asthma to eczema to certain kinds of cancer.
On the other hand, anabolic steroids are used primarily for cosmetic purposes (in fact, the majority of use is not by competitive athletes or bodybuilders, but for exactly this reason). They do have other functions; for example, they are sometimes prescribed by physicians to help stimulate the appetites of people with chronic wasting diseases such as cancer or AIDS.
In either case, steroids are serious medicines and should always be taken under the direction of a physician or other medical professional. Side effects are serious and can be even deadly, so caution is always in order.
Steroids need to be used carefully. These are powerful hormones and they are not without their dangers.
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