Introduction
There are two different types of steroids: natural steroids and synthetic steroids. Natural steroids are made from fats in the body. “Any of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds, such as: sterols, bile acids, and sex hormones, most of which have specific physiological action” (Steriod, n.d.). The human body naturally produces the following steroids: sex steroids, corticosteroids, mineralocorticoids, bile acid, and sterols. Sex steroids are made up of androgens and estrogens. Androgens are the male hormones the body produces and estrogens are the female hormones the body produces. Corticosteroids are hormones that include cortisone and cortisol. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal cortex and it helps with the maintenance …show more content…
In men, when there is excessive use of anabolic steroids to the point of suppression of naturally occurring testosterone, it can lead to a decrease in testicle size, decreased sperm production, infertility, and baldness. Occasionally any excess testosterone can be altered into estrogen in the male body which can lead to men developing breasts and increased chance of prostate cancer. In females who use excess testosterone it can cause them to develop a deeper voice register, changes in their menstrual cycle, increased hair production (facial and body hair) or male pattern baldness, and enlargement of the …show more content…
“Manic episodes of aggressive behavior are known as ‘roid rage’, and violence may be the outcome of that” (Steriods, 2015). Anabolic steroids do not have the same acute effects on the brain. They do not trigger rapid increases in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for the rewarding “high” that drives the abuse of other substances. But long term usage can affect the same pathways and chemicals in the brain – including dopamine, serotonin, and opioid systems – that are affected by other drugs. That impact on the brain can significantly alter a person’s mood and/or behavior. “Researchers have also observed that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgement stemming from feelings of invincibility” (DrugFacts: Anabolic Steroids,
There are two different types of steroids: natural steroids and synthetic steroids. Natural steroids are made from fats in the body. “Any of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds, such as: sterols, bile acids, and sex hormones, most of which have specific physiological action” (Steriod, n.d.). The human body naturally produces the following steroids: sex steroids, corticosteroids, mineralocorticoids, bile acid, and sterols. Sex steroids are made up of androgens and estrogens. Androgens are the male hormones the body produces and estrogens are the female hormones the body produces. Corticosteroids are hormones that include cortisone and cortisol. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal cortex and it helps with the maintenance …show more content…
In men, when there is excessive use of anabolic steroids to the point of suppression of naturally occurring testosterone, it can lead to a decrease in testicle size, decreased sperm production, infertility, and baldness. Occasionally any excess testosterone can be altered into estrogen in the male body which can lead to men developing breasts and increased chance of prostate cancer. In females who use excess testosterone it can cause them to develop a deeper voice register, changes in their menstrual cycle, increased hair production (facial and body hair) or male pattern baldness, and enlargement of the …show more content…
“Manic episodes of aggressive behavior are known as ‘roid rage’, and violence may be the outcome of that” (Steriods, 2015). Anabolic steroids do not have the same acute effects on the brain. They do not trigger rapid increases in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for the rewarding “high” that drives the abuse of other substances. But long term usage can affect the same pathways and chemicals in the brain – including dopamine, serotonin, and opioid systems – that are affected by other drugs. That impact on the brain can significantly alter a person’s mood and/or behavior. “Researchers have also observed that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgement stemming from feelings of invincibility” (DrugFacts: Anabolic Steroids,