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Corticosteroid medications are extremely useful in treatment of variety of conditions in which the body’s defense system malfunctions and causes tissue damage, such as:
- Systemic vasculitis - a serious disorder characterized by generalized inflammation of blood vessels.
- Myositis - an autoimmune disorder in which our immune system attacks our muscles
- Rheumatoid arthritis – This condition is present mostly in older people and characterized by chronic and painful inflammatory arthritis occurring in joints all around the body
- Systemic lupus erythematosus – An autoimmune disorder causing our immune system to target several body systems, especially the skin.
- Sjögren’s syndrome - a serious disorder characterized by dryness of the eyes and mouth.
Steroids are also used in the treatment of many other conditions such as:
- temporal arteritis
- dermatitis
- allergic reactions
- asthma
- hepatitis
- inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease)
- sarcoidosis
- for glucocorticoid replacement in Addison's disease
- treatment of different skin conditions
- eye diseases (uveitis)
- prevention of nausea
All corticosteroids have their own specific side effects, of which the most common are: hypertension (high blood pressure), hypokalemia (abnormally low potassium levels in the blood), hypernatremia (high sodium levels in the blood), permanent eye damage (central serous retinopathy), and many others.
How are corticosteroids administrated?
There are hundreds of different corticosteroid medications today, and each one of them has its own characteristic administration rules, dosage, etc. However, depending on their type of administration, we can divide all corticosteroids into these groups:
Oral corticosteroids
These come in the form of tablets, capsules or syrups, usually meant to help treat the inflammation and pain associated with chronic conditions such as arthritis and lupus.
Inhalational corticosteroids
These come as intranasal sprays which usually help control inflammation associated with allergy and asthma.
Topical corticosteroid medications
These come in the form of creams, ointments and roll-ons that can help relieve symptoms mostly from skin conditions associated with a strong immune response.
Injectable corticosteroids
These highly effective corticosteroids are usually used to treat such signs and symptoms as the pain and inflammation of tendinitis, severe musculoskeletal pain, or serious rashes.
Corticosteroid drugs can also be used as ingredients contained in various eye products, inhalers, nasal drops and sprays, topical creams, ointments, etc.
Possible side effects of steroids
Like all other medications, corticosteroids can cause several possible side effects, some of which can even be life-threatening! Every type of corticosteroids have its own characteristic side effects, depending mostly on their method of administration.