November 6, 2024

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Corticosteroids (Glucocorticoids): Definition & Side Effects

Corticosteroids (Glucocorticoids): Definition & Side Effects

What are corticosteroids?

Corticosteroids (also called glucocorticoids or steroids) are prescription medications that reduce inflammation in your body.

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They’re synthetic (human-made) drugs that are similar to cortisol, a hormone your body naturally produces. Usually, your adrenal glands produce and release cortisol. Corticosteroids have a similar anti-inflammatory effect throughout your body, but in a way your provider can change and adjust to fit your needs.

Providers use corticosteroids to treat lots of health conditions, especially autoimmune diseases. Some of the most common conditions providers treat with corticosteroids include:

  • Lupus.
  • Inflammatory arthritis (especially rheumatoid arthritis).
  • Asthma.
  • Vasculitis.
  • Eczema and other skin conditions.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Myositis.
  • Allergic reactions or life-threatening anaphylaxis.

You may also need a steroid to help your body heal after an injury, including:

What is the difference between steroids, corticosteroids and glucocorticoids?

Providers might refer to corticosteroids as glucocorticoids or the shortened term steroids. All of these names mean any synthetic medications that reduce inflammation in your body.

Scientifically, glucocorticoids are a specific subgroup of corticosteroids. But they’re commonly used as interchangeable names for the same kinds of drugs. Your provider will suggest the right medication for you, no matter what they call it.

All the different names for anti-inflammatory steroids aren’t the same as the anabolic steroids some athletes use to gain an unfair competitive advantage. Anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of testosterone.

Examples of corticosteroids and glucocorticoids

Some of the most common types of corticosteroids and glucocorticoids include:

  • Prednisone.
  • Cortisone.
  • Hydrocortisone.
  • Methylprednisolone.

What do corticosteroids do in the body?

Corticosteroids are strong, fast-acting anti-inflammatory medications. They can have several effects on your body, including:

  • Reducing inflammation.
  • Relieving pain.
  • Calming (suppressing) your immune system.

Inflammation (swelling) usually happens when your immune system sends cells to fight infections or heal an injury. Health conditions can make your immune system go into overdrive. This can lead to inflammation causing more problems than it helps. Steroids make your body slow down the production of the chemicals that cause inflammation.

How are corticosteroids given?

There are lots of different ways your provider might give you a steroid. They might apply it locally, which means a targeted dose to an exact location in or on your body. You might also take glucocorticoids systemically, which means in a way that spreads them throughout your whole body. Local steroids are more common because they have a lower side effect risk.

Local corticosteroid treatments include:

  • Joint injections.
  • Eye drops.
  • Ear drops.
  • Topical creams you rub on your skin.

Systemic steroids include:

  • Oral medications you take by mouth.
  • Intravenous (IV) steroids a provider infuses or injects into a vein.
  • Intramuscular (IM) injections into a muscle.

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