ALLERGY\MEDICAL HELP: STEROIDS
Steroids are very powerful and potentially dangerous drugs which are used to prevent the inflammatory reactions that accompany allergic reactions. They are used particularly in more serious cases and are very effective.
For serious conditions, steroids may need to be taken for long periods at higher dosages, with the risk of inducing side effects which may not be readily reversible. If you have an alternative, such as avoiding the substances or foods which are triggering the disease, this is clearly better. If there is no alternative, then it is necessary to weigh up the advantages of the steroids against their risks. Ask your doctor to discuss it with you openly, so that you can make an informed decision. If you have serious disease or disability, do not refuse steroids without understanding the consequences.
Steroids should not be stopped suddenly if they have been taken for more than a few days, because they depress the natural production of steroids by the body, which must be given a chance to recover.
The worst side effects of steroids are mostly associated with prolonged oral treatments, or repeated injections, though if you use steroid creams or ointments too lavishly (particularly the stronger ones) you can absorb enough to have general effects. Side effects include facial swelling, obesity, brittle bones, high blood pressure, cataracts, diabetes, peptic ulceration, changes in mental state, and slowing the growth of children. Local effects include thinning of the skin and mucus membrane, nosebleeds, and reduced resistance to infections.
Very few people experience side effects from short courses of steroids or from the regular use of steroid inhalers, and this is the treatment of choice for moderate or severe asthma which cannot be controlled by avoiding allergens or other triggers.
Steroid inhalers (e.g. Becotide, Becloforte, Pulmicort) have less side effects than using tablets. (Sodium cromoglycate inhalers, see above, are usually tried before steroids because they can be effective, particularly with allergic asthma.) As a side effect, steroid inhalers can cause candidiasis (thrush) in the throat. This can be reduced by using a spacer, or by gargling with water after each use.
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