Possible side effects of steroid powders use

Infect

When we want to relieve the pain of patients with chronic arthritis, we use steroid powders to suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body.

However, after the immune system is suppressed at this time, it cannot play its role well, and cannot kill the enemy when bacteria and viruses invade. Defend, it will be more prone to infection.

And patients are not only more susceptible to infection, but may also develop uncommon infections, acquire infectious diseases that are not easy for ordinary people to get, or become very serious once infection.

Edema, increased blood pressure, high intraocular pressure

steroid powders will affect the balance of water and electrolytes, so that water is easily retained in the body, the feet are more prone to edema, and blood pressure will be difficult to control. It may also increase intraocular pressure, leading to the risk of glaucoma.

mood changes

With higher doses of steroid powders, patients may be more prone to mood swings for no apparent reason, ranging from depression to anxiety, poor memory and disorganized behavior.

weight gain

steroid powders can affect metabolism and make people accumulate fat, improve appetite, and then gain weight and easily gain weight in the stomach.

Fat also accumulates on the face (moon face) and back and shoulders (buffalo shoulder).

Therefore, after long-term use of oral or intravenous steroid powders, patients may

more infection

Difficulty controlling blood pressure

Osteoporosis: Studies suggest that long-term steroid use can reduce bone mass by 10 to 20 percent within the first 6 months of treatment

Adrenal insufficiency: Due to the long-term use of steroids, the body feels that there are too many steroids, and the adrenal glands that are supposed to secrete steroid powders stop working and no longer produce steroids, resulting in fatigue, joint pain, and muscle stiffness.

Other applied and inhaled steroids are less likely to cause systemic problems, but may have local conditions:

Inhaled steroid powders: fungal infections such as oral thrush, hoarseness

Topical steroid creams: skin thinning, redness, breakouts.