For quite a few medical conditions , medical practitioneers prescribe anabolic steroids. Use of anabolic steroids however is suggested with caution since these drugs are known to exhibit harmful side effects. Ironically, anabolic steroids are used more for non-medical reasons than otherwise, and this has been so ever since their utility for performance enhancement became widely known among athletes and bodybuilders.

Some of the main motivations for use:

• 1. Professional athletes obsessed with winning at any price use anabolic steroids. One remembers Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson winning the 1988 Olympic 100-meter dash in Seoul to make a new world record, but later stripped of the title when tests revealed that he had traces of the banned steroid, stanozolol in his system.

• 2. Men suffering from behavioral syndromes, believing they look small and insignificant even though they are muscular, use anabolic steroids. Similarly, women with this problem take the drug as they tend to think they are overweight, though in actuality they are quite lean and muscular.

• 3. It is seen that people who have suffered physical or sexual abuse in the past often take recourse to the drug with the belief that it will make them look stronger and abler thus discouraging any future attacks.

• 4.Adolescent youth get a kick out of doing risky things, like driving fast, drinking atrociously and so on. They may therefore also be easily attracted to anabolic steroid use.

Anabolic steroids are used in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions, some examples are:

• 1. Helping patients gain weight after a severe illness, or continuing infection resulting in muscular atrophy. They may also be administered when patients do not gain or maintain normal weight because of unexplained medical reasons.

• 2. Treating certain types of anemia and also some kinds of breast cancer in women.

• 3. Treating hereditary angioedema that causes swelling of face, arms, legs, throat, windpipe, bowels, or sexual organs.

Side effects

Some side effects are serious and some are less serious but more common. It is said that orally taken steroids have more adverse effects. This type affects the liver in particular. Anabolic steroids are said to reduce the liver’s excretory purposes. The liver can be damaged from a bleeding cystic condition which is potentially life threatening. Moreover, the use of steroids has been connected to liver cancer, but this is still being studied. In the cardiovascular system, anabolic steroids can cause changes in the heart processes and strokes are possible especially to those who are taking oral steroids.

In the male reproductive system, it is documented that anabolic steroids can cause erectile dysfunction and may also lead to impotence even though sexual energy is enhanced. Atrophy or shrinking of the testicles can also occur but is associated with very high dosages of anabolic steroids.

Since the skin is the largest organ of the human body, it cannot be considered safe from these adverse side effects, enlarged skin pores, especially in women because their skin is more sensitive than men is common. This process is also known as “virilization” and it is an irreversible side-effect.

Acne is another problem. Intake of steroids can worsen the condition of existing acne conditions. Stretch marks are also expected to appear, especially in women.

It is not true that steroids is a direct cause of baldness, but it can speed up the process of its occurrence. Internal changes are also expected. With high dosages of anabolic steroids, both men and women may experience a change in behavior. Usually, it is associated with an increase in aggression and rage behavior. Some athletes consider this advantageous because they need the rage to optimize their performance. However, it is also not uncommon to feel severe depression. This usually results in huge weight gains and self confidence falters. In addition, feminization occurs in males. With the huge amounts of testosterone, some may be converted to estrogen which is the female sex hormone.This is the side effect that most body builders do not want to experience. In females, masculinization occurs. This results in a more masculine behavior and nature. This may enhance growth of body hair and other male characteristics. However, symptoms vary from person to person.Some men develop breasts because of high intake of anabolic steroids. These can only be removed by plastic surgery. This condition is called Gynecomastia. The risk of cardiovascular diseases is also increased. Decreased growth, kidney problems, severe headaches, liver problems, and immune system deficiencies are also side effects of taking anabolic steroids. So what do you think? Still up for it? In the end its your choice.

This article was written by Kathryn Whittaker. To read more of her articles and access addititional information and resources on this topic visit this anabolic steroids related website.

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