Side effects of steroids use in teens include damage in the hormonal system,damage in the cardiovascular system, damage in the musculoskeletal system, damage to the liver and skin damage.

Steroids, sometimes called “anabolic” or “anabolic” are the same or very similar to certain hormones in the body. The body manufactures steroids in a natural way to perform functions such as coping with stress and promoting growth and development. Steroid supplements are meno potent forms of androgens. Its effects are not well known, but it is believed that, when taken in large doses, they can cause similar effects to other androgens, such as testosterone.

How do anabolic steroids work?

Anabolic steroids stimulate muscle tissue so that it develops and increases in volume in response to training, simulating the effects of testosterone that the body produces naturally. Steroids have gained popularity because they can improve endurance, strength and muscle mass. In any case, research indicates that steroids do not allow improving the athlete’s abilities, agility or athletic performance.

Risks associated with steroids:

Steroids can cause many different types of problems. Some of its most frequent side effects are the following:

• Hypertension
• Weight gain
• Increased chance of injury to muscles and tendons
• Jaundice or yellowish tint on the skin; liver disease
• Growth retardation
• Increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, stroke and some types of cancer
• Reduction of the testicles
• Pain when urinating
• Breast development
• Impotence (inability to get an erection)
• Reduction of sperm count and sterility
• Greater growth of facial and body hair
• Development of male features, such as changes in the timbre of the voice (which becomes more severe) and loss of female bodily features, such as breast size reduction
• Enlargement of the clitoris
• Changes in menstrual cycles

Most of all oral steroids increase the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and decrease the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). High levels of LDL and low HDL increase the risk of arteriosclerosis, which is a condition in which lipoid substances are deposited inside the arteries altering the flow of blood.

Many of the damages become evident after years of use, and even after decades. Research has shown, not only that steroids increase the work of the heart, which increases the risk of suffering a heart attack, but can lead to the formation of cancerous tumors.

Side Effects of Steroids Use in Teens

Some of the major and common risks associated with steroids consumption in young age are:

Damages in the Hormonal System

The abuse of steroids hinders the normal production of hormones in the body causing reversible changes that would include a decrease in sperm and testicular atrophy, and irreversible changes.

Damages in the Cardiovascular System

Some cardiovascular diseases have been associated with the abuse of steroids, including heart and brain attacks. Anabolic drugs contribute to the development of cardiovascular pathologies, on the one hand, because they alter the levels of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through the blood.

Damages in the Musculoskeletal System

Increasingly different levels of testosterone and other sex hormones usually cause the accelerated growth that occurs during the stage of puberty and adolescence and similarly provides the signals for this development to stop.

When teens take anabolic steroids, the artificially high levels that result from sex hormones could send signals to their bones to stagnate in their growth.

Damage to the Liver

Excess use of steroids has been associated with liver tumors and with a rare condition called hepatic peliosis, in which cysts filled with blood are created in the liver. Both the tumors and the cysts at any time could burst to cause internal bleeding.

Skin Damage

This is a well-known symptom in the world of non-natural bodybuilding. The abuse of steroids can consequently cause acne and/or cysts, as well as greasy skin and hair.

Infections Risks

Certain preparations of steroids are manufactured clandestinely in non-sterile conditions, being these factors predisposing to contract some type of infection and many of them potentially deadly such as HIV and hepatitis B / C.

Some may also develop an infectious endocarditis, which is a bacterial disease that causes a deadly inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. Likewise, bacterial infections can cause a lot of pain and the formation of abscesses in the areas where the injection was placed.

If the blood flow does not reach the heart, the sure consequence would be a heart attack. If the blood flow does not reach the brain, the consequences can be an attack on the brain or apoplexy.

The use of steroids is illegal and is prohibited by both professional sports organizations and medical associations. If you are a teenager obsessed with your physical and muscular appearance above all, you have a lot of alternatives to choose that are safe without having to submit to the psychological dangers caused by steroids.

References:

 https://www.teendrugrehabs.com/blog/risks-teen-steroid-use/

https://www.labrada.com/blog/labrada-news/anabolic-steroid-facts-and-teenagers