What Are the Medical Uses of Steroids?

There are two classes of steroids used in medicine. Corticosteroids are drugs derived from the adrenal sourced hormones, cortisol and corticosterone. These hormones affect the immune system by suppressing inflammation. Therefore, drugs such as prednisone affect inflammation. Additionally, anabolic or androgenic steroids are those commonly associated with weight-lifting. These steroids are derived from testosterone-like hormones and cause the body to accumulate muscle mass and rebuild tissues. In medicine, anabolic steroids can be used after a serious injury, like a burn or chronic illness.

Reduce Inflammation
Corticosteroids are used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions, including but not limited to, chronic asthma and osteoarthritis. The inflammation occurring in these diseases leads to tissue damage, deterioration and increased sensitivity. In the case of asthma, this sensitivity promotes the airways to become over-reactive to allergens, exercise and other stimulants. Increased activity promotes increased bronchoconstriction and asthma attacks. The inflammation of arthritis causes the lining of the joint to become further damaged and speeds the rate of wear and tear. Professor Barnes of the Imperial College of London found that chronic conditions such as asthma unwinds portions of DNA that signal inflammation. Barnes discovered that steroids work by reversing this process, putting unwound DNA back into it wound form.

Pain Treatments
As a result of the powerful anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids, they are commonly used to treat pain conditions. The four cardinal signs of inflammation are heat, redness, pain and restricted movement. Therefore, by treating inflammation decreases in pain will result. Generally, when prescribed for pain corticosteroid will be given in low doses and for short terms, as long term steroid use is associated with many side effects. Interestingly, The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology notes that one of the side effects of long term oral steroid use is osteoporosis and a condition known as avascular necrosis. Both conditions can lead to extreme joint pain and an increased risk for fractures.

Treat Autoimmune Disease
Oral corticosteroids are also used in conditions of autoimmunity. These conditions can include inflammatory bowel diseases, scleroderma, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. In autoimmune diseases, the white blood cells and other immune cells attack the body's own tissues. A 1999 article from the "Australian Prescriber" journal notes that steroids are usually used in high doses for a short period of time to causes a remission or reduce the progression of the disease. The steroids create a short-term reduction in white blood cell counts by either interfering in the way they are recycled or directly killing them.

Weight Gain
Anabolic steroids increase protein building and skeletal muscle mass. A 2000 Annuals of Internal Medicine article notes that wasting syndromes identified in conditions such as HIV/AIDS and end-stage cancer are defined by the word cachexia. Cachexia was described as being an inflammatory event that ultimately leads to muscle breakdown, weight loss not countered by increased food consumption, fatigue, malaise, altered consciousness and bone marrow suppression among many other changes. These changes were described as a hypoanabolic state and the author states that anabolic steroid use may be helpful. When taken with a high protein diet, anabolic steroids increased weight gain.

Prevent Anemia
Anemia results from a deficiency of or inability of red blood cells to properly bring oxygen to the tissues. The production of new red blood cells occurs in the bone marrow and this process is monitored by the kidneys. The kidneys produce the hormone, erythropoietin to signal increased red blood cells production when it senses that the oxygen level in the blood is too low. The 2000 article states that anabolic steroids have been used when the kidneys begin to fail in chronic kidney disease to help stimulate red blood cell production and prevent anemia.