[Longterm effects of steroid therapy].

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways play. Anti-inflammatory drugs the fundamental role in the treatment of asthma and among them steroids are the most important. However, oral steroids may cause many serious side effects. A major breakthrough in the treatment of asthma was introducing inhaled steroids. Inhaled steroids have much less side effects than oral steroids, although they have the same anti-inflammatory activity. Long term effect of inhaled steroids can be divided into wanted and unwanted outcome. The desirable anti-inflammatory effect of steroids is reflected by lowering of bronchial hyperresponsiveness and a better control of asthma symptoms. Inhaled corticosteroid may have systemic side effects similar to those observed with oral steroids such as 1) adrenal suppression, 2) effect on bone metabolism, 3) growth suppression in children, 4) impaired skin collagen synthesis, 5) cataract, 6) metabolic disturbances, 7) effect on central nervous system. Topical side effects of inhaled corticosteroid such as oral candidiasis, dysphonia and cough effect about 10 to 30% of patients taking those drugs. Summing up it is advisable to use inhaled corticosteroid in the lower effective dose.