What are corticosteroids?
Corticosteroids are man-made drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone that your adrenal glands produce naturally. Corticosteroids are often referred to by the shortened term "steroids." Corticosteroids are different from the male hormone-related steroid compounds that some athletes abuse.
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| When inflammation normally occurs, chemicals from the body’s white blood cells are released to protect us from foreign substances. Sometimes, however, the white blood cells and inflammatory chemicals cause damage to the body’s tissues. |
What are some types of steroids?
Some corticosteroid medicines include cortisone, prednisone, and methylprednisolone. Prednisone is the most commonly used type of steroid to treat certain rheumatologic diseases.
How are steroids given?
Steroid medications are available in several forms that vary in how easily they dissolve or how long they stay in the body.
Steroids might be given locally, to the precise place where a problem exists, or systemically, which means throughout the "system" or body.
Examples of local steroid treatments include joint injections, eye drops, ear drops, and skin creams. Systemic steroid treatments include oral medicines (given by mouth) or medicine that is delivered directly into a vein (intravenously or IV) or muscle (intramuscularly). Systemic steroids circulate through the bloodstream to various body sites.
When possible, local steroid treatments are prescribed instead of systemic steroids.
>How do steroids work?
Steroids work by decreasing inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system. Inflammation is a process in which the body's white blood cells and chemicals can protect against infection and foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses. In certain diseases, however, the body's defense system (immune system) doesn't function properly. This might cause inflammation to work against the body's tissues and cause damage. Inflammation is characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain.
Steroids reduce the production of inflammatory chemicals in order to minimize tissue damage. Steroids also reduce the activity of the immune system by affecting the function of white blood cells.
When are steroids given?
Steroids are used to treat a variety of conditions in which the body's defense system malfunctions and causes tissue damage. Steroids are the main therapy for certain diseases. For other conditions, steroids might only be used sparingly or when other measures have not been successful.
Steroids are used as the main treatment for certain inflammatory conditions, such as:
- Systemic vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels)
- Myositis (inflammation of muscle)
Steroids might also be used selectively to treat inflammatory conditions such as: