Steroid Abuse – A Spotlight On The Dark Side Of Steroids

Anabolic steroids have been around since the 1930′s. What was once thought of as a medicinal remedy has now become in the publics eye a dangerous and explosive drug, that seems to turn ordinary men and women into massive muscular beings. Horror stories or aggression and heart attacks circulate the internet, and the newspapers seem to always have some report of a famous sport figure caught breaking the rules and using steroids.

But what exactly is steroid abuse? What are the signs? Are there any side effects? And perhaps most important, what can we do to curb the abuse of steroids, to not only maintain competitive equality, but to protect everyone from its harmful effects?

Steroids are synthetic hormones that copy naturally occurring enzymes in the human body, often administered in high doses and stimulating rapid muscle growth. They also allow faster muscle recovery. It is used primarily as a medicinal remedy. The United States has very stringent laws and regulations regarding the use of steroids. Normally, a prescription is needed, and only in small doses, when deemed medically necessary. However, in many other countries, the laws are much more relaxed.

The illegal use of steroids happens on many levels, from the high schoolers wanting to look attractive, to wealthy sports celebrities trying to keep a competitive edge. The abuse itself stems from the usage of steroids for a purpose that is not medically necessary. There are also steroid precursors in many dietary supplements that people take without having any idea of the risks.

Side Effects

The effects of steroids are swift and dramatic. Muscle mass is gained at an incredible rate. Physical prowess is sharpened. Combined with extensive training, steroids make the body stronger and faster. But those aren’t the only effects that steroids have on the human body. In excessive doses, steroids wreak havoc in a multitude of ways. Some will fade once the drug is no longer being used, but many will not stop, even if the steroids aren’t ever taken again.

More Side Effects

In males, acne is a prevalent side effect of steroids. The increase of testosterone is similar to that found in puberty, and skin cysts can also develop. The constant use of steroids fools the body into thinking that it doesn’t need to produce the hormone anymore. When the body stops producing it, there can also be shrinking testicles, hair loss, decreased sperm count, and even breast development.

Even More Side Effects

Steroids can also increase bone growth, with growth in the skull and face the most common. Adolescents are at an increased risk if they take steroids before they have stopped growing. Accelerated muscle growth can cause stress on tendons, causing them to rip and tear.

It is estimated that almost 200,000 women take steroids annually. The side effects for women do vary, but the most common are musclizitation that leads to body fat loss and breast size, the development of facial hair, body hair, deepening voice, and even swelling clitoris.

Deadly Side Effects

More serious conditions include heart attack and stroke, blood clots, liver cancer, and even liver failure.

There are psychological side affects as well. Addiction and withdrawal can both occur. Manic behaviour, including hallucinations and delusions have been reported. Aggressive tendencies are common, often called ‘roid rage’.

Why You Should Avoid Abusing Anabolic Steroids?

In today’s cutthroat world, second chances are rare due to intense competition and able contenders more than ready to take your place, at the workplace or the sport field. This is one of the biggest reasons why more and more people, and not just sportsmen, are using anabolic steroids these days. However, some of them often fail to differentiate between the right use of steroids and steroid abuse and this is exactly where health complications come into the picture.

Anabolic steroids abuse is related to interference with efficient collagen deposition in tendons that may cause weakening of the tendon structure. Few studies in the past have indicated that steroid users are more likely to face tendon injuries as their muscle tissue become so strong that they tend to surpass ability of the muscle to transmit force. Moreover, the use of steroid drugs (even if for the first time) may enhance infrequent or dysplastic development of bovine collagen materials that may cause stiff tendons with significantly reduced elastic qualities. The use of steroid drugs is also relevant to a rise in prothrombin time, which is time taken by our body to produce blood clots. This means that a steroid user’s body may take slighter longer than others (non-users) for a small cut to stop blood loss that can lead to a more serious trouble. Moreover, these changes may get aggravated with the use of medicines such as Tylenol, Pain killers, and especially anticoagulants.

In short, anabolic steroids should always be used sensibly and for medical purposes only such as the treatment of severe burns, prostate cancer, breast cancer, knee or shoulder injury (joint repair), anemia, thrombosis, osteoporosis, endometriosis and hereditary angioedaema, asthma, and muscle-wasting disorders. They may also be used for help individuals gain weight for chronic nutritional deficiencies or AIDS wasting syndrome, improve protein synthesis, and nitrogen balance.