Health Consequences of Steroid Abuse

Commonly observed health consequences of steroid abuse are listed below:

• Hormonal System: Over use of steroids interferes with the hormones present in the body and alter their normal functioning. Steroids impact the normal production of hormones in our body. Commonly observed symptoms of steroid abuse in males include infertility owing to reduced sperm production and shrinking of testicles, male-pattern baldness, and breast development. In females, over use of steroids can lead to masculinization and the side effects include the enlargement of clitoris, decrease in breast size and body fat, excessive growth of body hair with a coarsening of skin, and deepening of voice. Women can also experience male-pattern baldness with the overuse of steroids. Excessive use of steroids in females interferes with their menstrual cycle and can even lead to infertility.

• Musculoskeletal system: Steroid abuse can lead to a rise in the levels of testosterone and sex hormones in the body. This triggers a spurt in growth that is witnessed during the puberty and adolescence phases of our lives. This sudden spurt of testosterone in our body signals the brain to stop the growth of our body. The metabolites of the estrogen hormone are responsible for slowing the growth and inducing the fusion of the growth plates. Steroid abuse leads to the production of estrogen metabolites, which can trigger the premature fusion of the growth plates thereby leading to stunted growth. Steroids, when used in excess trigger muscle growth. The tendons are unable to keep pace with this sudden spurt of muscular growth and they lose their capability to support muscles. The tendons tend to tear when exerted too much.

• Cardiovascular system: Steroid abusers face the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Cases of strokes and heart attacks have been reported in steroid abusing athletes who are even younger than 30 years of age. Our blood contains lipoproteins that are responsible for carrying cholesterol in the blood. Over use of steroids alters the levels of lipoproteins and as a result the levels of LDL (or bad cholesterol) increase and the levels of HDL (or good cholesterol) decrease. This increases the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition wherein fatty substances get deposited in the arteries. Steroid abuse also increases the risk of blood clot formation in blood vessels. The blood clots tend to disrupt the flow of blood and this can damage the heart muscles. Steroid abuse can also lead to the enlargement of the left ventricle of the heart.

• Liver: Excessive use of oral steroids can lead to liver cancer. Oral steroids are difficult to metabolize and their continued use can lead to growth of tumors which can even be malignant. Steroid abusers face the risk of developing peliosis hepatis, a medical condition wherein blood-filled cysts are formed in the liver. On rupturing, they can cause internal bleeding.

• Skin: Steroid abuse stimulates the sebaceous glands in our skin. The sebaceous glands produce oily substances which help in waterproofing our skin. Over use of steroids can cause severe acne, oily hair and scalp, cysts, and jaundice.

Another commonly observed health implication of steroid abuse is that the abusers become prone to infections. Many steroid abusers inject steroids using non-sterile and common needles shared with other abusers. This makes them prone to deadly viral infections such as hepatitis B and C, and AIDS.

Psychological Implications of Steroid Abuse

Anabolic steroids when used indiscriminately over an unusually long period of time can have serious psychological implications. Steroid abusers exhibit irritability and aggression and tend to commit serious aggressive acts such as theft, burglary, vandalism, and physical fighting. They also experience sensations of euphoria, increased tolerance to stress, depression, and disturbed reasoning.