Corticosteroid medicines are sometimes called steroids. They deal with irritation and swelling affecting the attention and different components of the physique.
Corticosteroids are totally different from anabolic steroids. Athletes and bodybuilders generally use anabolic steroids to construct muscle. Corticosteroids are within the physique naturally. They assist regulate blood sugar, salt and water ranges, metabolism and progress. Additionally they assist management allergic reactions.
In larger doses, corticosteroids might help deal with accidents and ailments affecting the attention. These tablets scale back swelling, ache, and redness. Prednisone is the steroid pill ophthalmologists use most frequently for eye illness.
Uveitis is an inflammatory situation affecting the eyes. It often occurs when the physique’s immune response just isn’t working proper. Ophthalmologists prescribe steroid tablets to suppress the immune system to deal with uveitis. Steroid tablets may also deal with thyroid eye illness (or TED, often known as Graves’ eye illness) and large cell arteritis.
What to Inform Your Physician Earlier than Taking Steroid Tablets
Medication and different medicines interacting with steroids may cause dangerous unintended effects. Inform your ophthalmologist if you’re taking another medicines. These prescription and nonprescription medicines can embrace:
- antibiotics
- anticoagulants (“blood thinners”)
- arthritis medication
- aspirin or medication containing aspirin
- diuretics (“water capsules”)
- estrogen (resembling birth-control capsules)
- insulin or any oral diabetes medication
- ulcer medication
However ensure you embrace all medication you take.
Inform your ophthalmologist your full medical historical past, notably when you have:
- diabetes
- excessive blood stress
- HIV or AIDS
- liver, kidney, intestinal, or coronary heart illness
- osteoporosis
- abdomen ulcers
- tuberculosis
- thyroid gland issues
- seizures
- psychological issues
- a present an infection of any type
Being pregnant
Inform your ophthalmologist if you’re pregnant, making an attempt to turn into pregnant or breastfeeding. Steroids can impact your child’s progress and growth.
How Do you have to Take Steroid Tablets?
Observe your ophthalmologist’s directions about how and when to take steroid tablets. Inform your major care physician you can be taking steroids. Listed below are some essential tricks to observe:
- take your tablets with a meal to keep away from abdomen irritation.
- rigorously watch your weight loss program in addition to your salt consumption
- train frequently to take care of muscle energy
- restrict alcohol consumption
- keep away from vaccination or immunization, until your physician tells you it’s OK.
Facet Results of Steroid Tablets
Steroid tablets are a “systemic” medication, which suggests they will have an effect on your entire physique, and never only one space of remedy (like utilizing ointment for a minimize in your finger). This may trigger many unintended effects, resembling:
Lengthy-term use of steroids can:
This isn’t a whole listing of unintended effects. Name your physician if you happen to get these or another unintended effects whereas taking steroid tablets.
Don’t cease taking the tablets instantly. This may occasionally lead to extreme unintended effects. Whenever you cease taking steroids, you need to slowly scale back your dosage. You should still discover minor results, together with:
- fever
- diarrhea
- lightheadedness
- tiredness
- lack of urge for food
- joint aches
You possibly can develop critical eye issues if you happen to take steroid tablets for circumstances not associated to the attention. These issues embrace glaucoma and cataracts. Inform your physician when you have issues whereas utilizing steroids, together with:
- imaginative and prescient issues
- eye ache
- redness, and
- tearing
