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Summary
You may have heard of anabolic steroids, which can have harmful effects. But there's another type of steroid - sometimes called a corticosteroid - that treats a variety of problems. These steroids are similar to hormones that your adrenal glands make to fight stress associated with illnesses and injuries. They reduce inflammation and affect the immune system.
You may need to take corticosteroids to treat:
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis
- Skin conditions such as eczema and rashes
- Some kinds of cancer
Steroids are strong medicines, and they can have side effects, including weakened bones and cataracts. Because of this, you usually take them for as short a time as possible.
Related Issues
- Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
- How to Stop Steroid Medicines Safely (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Corticosteroids (Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America)
- Cortisone Shots (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Epidural Steroid Injections (North American Spine Society)
- FAQs about Oral Steroids (Steroid Pills and Syrups) for Asthma (National Jewish Health)
- FAQs on Inhaled Steroids for Asthma (National Jewish Health)
- Steroids for Treating Cancer (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Images
- Prednisone (Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Cortex Hormones (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Glucocorticoids (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Prednisone (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Dual therapy with corticosteroid ablates the beneficial effect of DP2 antagonism...
- Article: Electronic health record data analysis on the impact of rescue-triggered inhaled...
- Article: Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) - an overview of pathogenesis, clinical...
- Steroids -- see more articles
Children
- Corticosteroids (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Women
- Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICSs) and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Steroid injections - tendon, bursa, joint (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.