A steroid is a synthetically produced version of male hormones, fat soluble compound, which increases body building activities. Athletes do intense physical work and they use 10 times more testosterone (male hormone) than a normal person. So to compensate with that or to improve their performance they use steroids.
It constitutes different male hormones, especially testosterone. The affects of steroids depend on two things one is the physical conditions of the person who takes steroids and other the extent of its use. Sometimes steroids may cause serious, long-lasting or irreversible health problems. Here are some effects of using steroids:-
1) Regular intake of steroids badly affects the production of natural hormones and sometimes body stops producing those hormones. Body becomes habitual of taking supplement from outside. In most of the cases body starts producing hormones when the intake of steroids is completely stopped.
2) Steroids are injected or can be taken orally. Studies have shown that the steroids taken orally can be harmful or damage the liver because it increases the liver enzymes. Another study says that the level of enzymes comes to normal when a person stops using steroids. Many users inject steroids under non-sterile conditions or we can that the needle with which they are injecting might be infected. An infected needle can cause hepatitis, HIV (a virus responsible for causing AIDS), and many other diseases
3) Anabolic steroids enhance the production of estrogen (female sex hormones) in males which further causes female like breast tissue in men, reduction in the production of sperms, pain when urinating, shrinking testicles, impotence, sterility and baldness. Similarly it enhances the production of testosterone (male sex hormone) in women. This causes enlargement of clitoris, voice gets deepened, increase in facial hair or even cessation of menstrual cycle. There are some drugs that prevent or reduce these affects in men and women.
4) Some people use steroids to make their appearance more attractive and athletes use them to enhance their performances. It also has psychological side affects. In starting people taking steroids feel good about themselves or have the positive feelings but afterwards it changes to anger, rage, violence, aggression etc.
5) Steroids also disturb the cholesterol levels. It increases HOL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol which is also called bad cholesterol and decreases LDL ( low density lipoprotein) cholesterol which is called as good cholesterol and required by the body. This can be the reason for cardiovascular diseases like stokes and heart attacks.
6) Other problems caused by steroids are dizziness, mood swing, nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure, jaundice, joints pain, acne, muscle tightness, headache, stomach pain, tendon problem, trembling, hallucinations etc. these problems can be reversed at the cessation of steroid use.
7) Some people start taking steroids at an early age or we can say at the age where they haven’t even finished growing. Steroids do not allow further growth. So this is an irreversible side effect of steroids.
8) Some people who use steroids say that it has the characteristics related to addiction.
Steroids are banned in US and many other countries. A person can buy steroids only if he has valid prescription.
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