Negative Effects of Steroid Abuse on Human Health

Steroid abuse leads to a number of fatal diseases ranging from depression to cancer and from abnormal hormonal activities to heart troubles.  

Steroids are artificially developed, chemical compounds which are used to cure extreme medical deficiencies. Due to their numerous side effects, the use of these drugs is avoided as much as possible and is only recommended in case of a serious emergency. Some of the effects of using steroids include increased strength, increase in stamina, and faster growth of muscles. For these reasons, a lot of people indulge in steroid abuse to improve their capabilities. The term ‘Steroid Abuse’ refers to a scenario where people consume steroids without any medical issue, in order to make themselves strong and powerful.

Many different forms of steroids are available in the market but ‘Anabolic Steroids’ are the ones that are abused the most. They are basically synthetic versions of Testosterone, a hormone produced by human body. Non-prescribed intake of anabolic steroids shatter the balance of testosterone inside the human body, which can lead to a number of dangerous diseases. Some common problems that a steroid addict may have to face are described below.

Aggression and Depression

The very first and obvious disadvantage of steroid abuse is that the person becomes aggressive. His anger and temper becomes difficult for him to control and he stays frustrated most of the times.  Consequently, he indulges in a lot of fights and arguments which destroy his image in the society and people start avoiding his company. In addition to that, he may get involved in many crimes like burglary and vandalism. The feeling of loneliness gives way to a dangerous mental state called ‘Depression’. It is considered the root cause of many moral and medical issues because it has the power to do anything and everything. The fact that depression kills a lot of people annually is a clear indicator of its power.

Abnormal Hormonal Activities

Hormones are responsible for proper functioning of all the body parts. Any irregularity in hormonal activity can lead to a severe outcome. Given the fact that steroids modify the hormonal balance of an individual, various functions of the human body are disturbed. The excessive amount of testosterone in the body can affect the sexual characteristics of the human body. For instance, females may grow facial hair or excess body hair while men can develop breasts. Another common side-effect of using anabolic steroids is the loss of head hair, which is observed in both the genders. Similarly, there are many complications like these that can arise due to steroid abuse.

Kidney and Liver Issues

The most dangerous consequences of steroid abuse are kidney and liver cancers. The presence of steroids in your blood adds to the burden of these organs, which makes them more prone to a variety of diseases like tumors. Other than cancers, kidney and liver failures are also very common in steroid addicts. Knowing the importance of these organs, it is quite easy to understand what happens when they malfunction. It initiates a vicious cycle of problems that can lead to a painful and miserable death in no time.

Other Common Problems

The ability of steroids to alter the growth rate of muscles can enlarge the size of your heart. Similarly, it leads to high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which increase the chances of heart attack and stroke, even in young people. Steroids also increase the risk of blood clots in an individual, exaggerating the risks even further.

The consumption of steroids greatly affects the immune system of our body which makes us vulnerable to all kinds of diseases like bacterial infections. They promote the chances of Osteoporosis, a state where the entire bone structure of the human body deteriorates and becomes feeble, in the addict. The skin of these addicts becomes oily which results in severe acne.

Female addicts may experience irregularities in their menstrual cycle and their voices will start to deepen. On the other hand, male addicts develop a state called ‘Azoospermia’ as their sperm count decreases dramatically. Likewise, teenagers who adapt this habit may experience stunned growth and height. All these effects clearly indicate that steroids do more harm than good and we should not indulge in this heinous activity at any cost (except for medical emergencies).