ermatological illnesses are treated with some kind of steroid, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and others. Many skin rashes or ailments are treated with steroids like temovate (clobestasol propionate), a topical steroid that is applied locally to the condition. Steroids are often used in the treatment of lichen sclerosis or Peyronie’s disease, and they have proven to be effective in their use against Crohn’s disease. Steroids have also been used by physicians in an effort to offset some of the debilitating affects of Multiple Sclerosis and Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Steroids are also found effective in the illness known as lupus. Many physicians prescribe prednisone to those suffering from this immune-system disease. Even scars have been treated with steroids like triamcinolone, which are injected directly into the scar tissue and help reduce scarring over time. While the use of steroids is controversial because there are often unpleasant and even dangerous side effects associated with their long-term use, they continue to be prescribed regularly for a number of ailments, including asthma. Asthma sufferers are regularly prescribed corticosteroids, “anti-inflammatory medicines that prevent and reduce the swelling inside the airways and decrease the amount of mucus in the lungs.”
The steroids taken by asthma sufferers are typically administered through some kind of inhalation device. However, even though the metered dose inhalers regularly used are the most popular among physicians and patients, corticosteroids also come in pill or liquid form and can also be administered through injection. The liquid, pill and injection administration of corticosteroids is usually reserved for more severe attacks or cases of asthma. While there is no danger of liver damage with prolonged use of corticosteroids (like there are with anabolic steroids), there are still side effects of both inhaled and ...