Earlier, steroids were something you only read about in the sports pages of the newspaper. However, steroids have come a long way from only being used by athletes. More and more ordinary people, especially teenage boys, are experimenting with steroids for a variety of reasons.

What are steroids?

Steroids are essentially hormones. They can be of many types and some are even used for medicinal purposes. Steroids used by teenagers usually come under the category of anabolic steroids. These synthetically produced hormones are similar to the testosterone hormone naturally produced in the body.

What do anabolic steroids do?

Similar to testosterone, anabolic steroids primarily help in increasing muscle mass. Anabolic steroids may be injected, taken orally as pills, or applied on the skin in the form of gels or creams. Some athletes believe that muscle mass enhances their performance on the field. Teenagers who participate in competitive sports may use steroids to give them an edge over their rivals.

Why do teenagers use them?

The media has a big influence on teenagers. Newspapers and television are filled with images of people with 'perfect' bodies. Teenage boys aspire to be like models with bulging biceps, a washboard stomach, and six-pack abs. Girls go for the lean, muscular look that is popular nowadays. Teenagers view steroids as a shortcut to the perfect figure. However, they do not understand the risks involved.

How do they harm the body?

All people have both testosterone and oestrogen hormones in their body. Depending on the sex of the person, the male or female hormone will be in higher amounts in the body. When a person consumes anabolic steroids, it upsets the balance between testosterone and oestrogen in the body.

As boys are more likely to use anabolic steroids, their effects on males have been well documented. Anabolic steroids cause boys to develop breasts. It also causes premature baldness and a rash or acne, especially on the back. Mentally, the steroids cause aggression, mood swings, and paranoia. Long-term use of anabolic steroids causes shrinking of the testicles and a reduced sperm count, often leading to infertility. It also increases the chances of prostate cancer.

The effects of anabolic steroids use among girls is similar to that of boys such as balding and acne. In addition, females also experience breast shrinkage and develop deeper voices than normal.

Anabolic steroids are also said to destroy brain cells. This increases the risk of neurological diseases like Alzheimer's. The steroids also cause damage to the liver. Since the compound is synthetic, it cannot easily be broken down into its components by the liver. This results in the liver having to work harder to remove unused parts of the steroid from the body.

What are the signs of steroid use?

Luckily, steroid use has some visible signs. If you suspect your child is using steroids, look for these characteristics.

• A sudden increase in weight and muscle mass in spite of eating the same food as before
  
  
• Aggressive tendencies towards other people, suddenly getting into physical fights with peers or elders for no reason at all
  
  
• Symptoms of jaundice, wherein the skin and eyes become a pale yellowish colour
  
  
• Red or purple spots all over the body
  
  
• Swelling of the lower leg regions, especially the feet
  
  
• Unexplained darkening of the skin
  
  
• Oily skin and several breakouts of acne
  
  
• Sudden onset of persistent bad breath
  
  
• Unprovoked changes in mood on a regular basis