How can I tell if my son’s abusing steroids?
By
Dr Ellie Cannon
16:07 EST, 23 June 2012
|
16:07 EST, 23 June 2012
Steroids have made the news with a politician’s son taking up full-time body-building.
Jonny Spelman, 17, the son of Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, has already been banned from rugby for steroid use. So what do steroids do?
Muscle mass: Steroids enhance body shape – but have side effects
How would I know if my son were using steroids?
Anyone working out regularly will build muscle, but anabolic steroids are taken by body-builders to enhance this dramatically.
They are similar to the male sex hormone testosterone, which builds muscle bulk. Side effects to watch out for include bad acne, aggressive behaviour and even the development of breast tissue.
Is taking steroids in this way harmful in the long term?
Unnecessarily taking any medicine is a bad idea.
Steroid-users are prone to raised blood pressure, high cholesterol and kidney damage, putting them at risk of cardiovascular disease. Steroid use can also cause impotence, reduced fertility and liver disease.
Do steroids occur naturally in the body?
Yes, in many forms. The sex hormones – testosterone and oestrogen – are steroids made in the body. Other natural steroids are vital in our response to stress and regulating salt levels.
Anabolic steroids are most closely related to the male hormone testosterone. Doses taken are often more than ten times the natural level found in the male body.
How are anabolic steroids different from the steroids a doctor prescribes?
The steroids we use as medicine are a synthetic version of natural hormones, corticosteroids.
Steroids prescribed by your doctor have side effects but are given in a controlled situation for medical benefit. Doctors also use the lowest doses possible.
Can medical steroids cause the same side effects?
High doses of steroid, which are prescribed only for those with severe medical problems, cause different side effects.
-
Kate told to curtsey to blood princesses Beatrice and…
-
Ann Curry’s replacement at Today set to be named next week…
-
Mom who made sex tape with son, 16, is jailed for four…
-
That’s some 30th birthday gift! Queen gives William a…
-
Lonesome George, the LAST giant Galapagos Islands turtle,…
-
Mommy bear to the rescue after cub gets trapped in a…
-
The little girl who didn’t exist: Mother ‘doted on her two…
-
Bought for $15,000… sold for $2m: Incredible 300-year-old…
-
Growth of the ‘breastaurant’: Waitresses offering dinner and…
-
The making of a child goddess: Behind-the-scenes pictures…
-
Tragic online love triangle built on LIES: Two middle-aged…
-
Pictured: The man who ‘smashed a 77-year-old woman in the…
