nani
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:56 pm Play It Safe With Steroids |
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You know that corticosteroids can give you quick relief from your asthma symptoms, but you may also have heard that they can cause side effects, including an increased risk of osteoporosis, delayed growth in children, and immune system suppression, especially if they're taken on a long-term basis.
You can usually avoid side effects by using only oral, or "systemic," corticosteroids on a short-term basis, and in low doses. For longer-term care, talk to your doctor about inhaled corticosteroids, which are considered much safer for this purpose. Unlike oral medications, which must travel throughout your body to reach your lungs, inhaled corticosteroids are delivered directly to the airways in small doses. This means they have less of a chance of reaching other parts of the body. The National Institutes of Health calls inhaled corticosteroids "the most effective long-term therapy available for patients with persistent asthma. In general, [they] are well tolerated and safe at the recommended dosages."
It's important to know what specific side effects you may experience with corticosteroids. Talk to your doctor about what you can expect, and work with him or her to manage both these side effects and your asthma.
© Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Reproduced with permission. |
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