Common Misconceptions About Injectable Steroids

A lot of people rely on injectable steroids for treating inflammation. There are a number of health issues such as arthritis, asthma, strep throat, etc. that steroids can be used to relieve. Typically, steroids reduce inflammation by muting the immune responses of our bodies.

Although steroids can be taken orally, injectable steroids are mostly injected directly into a joint or a muscle. This then allows the effects of the steroids to kick in faster than those taken orally. Despite the many health and body benefits of injectable steroids, there are a few misconceptions that make some people skeptical about using them.

In this post, we will take a quick look at these misconceptions in an attempt to debunk them with medical facts.

THE MYTHS

People seem to have misconceptions about almost everything these days, and injectable steroids are no exception. Here are a few of the most common misconceptions about injectable steroids:

• INJECTABLE STEROIDS ARE UNSAFE: Have you ever heard the popular saying “Where there’s smoke there’s fire?” This is true about the belief that injectable steroids are unsafe. The truth is that they can be dangerous to people who use them without the supervision of their doctors. However, with your doctor’s supervision, this belief is a misconception. Your doctor will determine whether injectable steroids are safe for you (or not) based on your medical history. For instance, injectable steroids are usually not recommended for people with diabetes because they can cause a surge in blood sugar levels. He will also help in determining the right dosage so that you do not take more than your body can handle. Furthermore, your doctor will be able to identify any of your medications that may interfere with the injections.

• INJECTABLE STEROIDS HURT: Most people find taking injections uncomfortable. Some people tend to find them more painful than others. However, the belief that injectable steroids are more painful than other injections is nothing more than a fallacy. People just conclude that injectable steroids are more painful because they are shot into specific areas of the body like the joints. However, in most cases, people are often given local anesthetics to reduce the discomfort that may arise as a result of an injection going straight into their joints. Moreover, the pain-relieving effects of injectable steroids in the body are almost instantaneous, outweighing any initial discomfort you may experience.

• INJECTABLE STEROIDS MAKE PEOPLE GAIN WEIGHT: Truthfully, people do tend to gain weight when they use steroids for a long time. However, these side effects are more pronounced when using oral steroids than when using injectable steroids. This is where your doctor’s supervision comes in. He will help determine the right dosage that will minimize any possibility of experiencing the side effects of injectable steroids.

CONCLUSION

Many people have held back from enjoying the benefits of injectable steroids because of things that they have heard from other people. However, most of these things are nothing but misinformed assumptions. Finding out the facts will help eliminate these misconceptions about injectable steroids.