Effects of Steroid Injections Abuse on Adolescents

Like any other medical product, steroids, especially in their injectable forms are liable to be abused. The wealth of information available on the internet has made the task of the casual user easier. Steroid abuse comes in various forms. They can start as innocuously as a treatment for simple pain and the dependence can grow if proper treatment measures are not in place. Obsessive use can lead to disastrous effects on the whole body. Steroid abuse is fairly abundant among adolescents and more so in sports. However, due to advances in technology, the chances of detection are more and it is very rarely that steroid abuse by an athlete goes undetected. There are sportsperson who use steroid injections in a controlled and educated manner. They are aware of the techniques needed to beat the detection mechanisms and try every trick in the book to get past the machines. The negative effects of steroid abuse can be truly shocking and can cause long term damage to the physical and mental setup of the individual. The most serious side effect occurs on the hormone production in the body, which becomes erratic or even stops completely in some instances. Liver is another big sufferer when it comes to steroid abuse. The secretion of enzymes in the liver increases and can cause liver damage when resorted to on a long term basis. Steroid injections can affect the cholesterol levels of the body. Bad cholesterol or LDL increases in the body while the HDL or good cholesterol level drops drastically. That is the reason why steroid abuse can lead to cardiovascular problems as well. A commonly observed and clinically established side effect of excessive use of steroidal injection is increased aggressiveness. This is a real side effect that may not be imminently detected but the shows up on prolonged use. Anabolic steroids are known to inhibit bone growth and stop development of the body in adolescents. This is a dangerous side effect because the process is irreversible and life threatening. Other effects of abuse of steroid injections include enlarged prostrates, high blood pressure and major changes in the immune system of the body. Problems related to the renal functions are also observed in many adolescents hooked on to steroidal injections.