Is your child using steroids? Here is what experts say to look for:
- Large
gain of muscle mass over a short period of time (20lbs. of muscle
gained over a summer by a high school athlete is usually not the result
of weight training alone).
- Increased time spent in the gym and a preoccupation with weight training
- Dramatic changes in personality (moodiness, aggression, and hostility etc.)
- Abnormally large breasts in males (gynecomastia)
- Stretch marks (cultaneous striae), especially around the breast area
- Increased acne, especially on the back, face, and chest
- Facial puffiness due to water retention
- Needle marks on the buttocks
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Reference
to steroids in conversation (some of the slang words for steroids
include "roids," "juice," "sauce," "slop," "product" and "vitamins").
Three main signs
According to Los Angeles doctor
Nick Evans, writing in The Physician and Sports Medicine, the three
main warning signs are acne, gynecomastia, and cultaneous striae. The
presence of all three, writes Evans, is "diagnostic of steroid use."
When accompanied by needle marks or shrunken testicles, he considers
steroid use certain.
Teaser title:
Ten Signs of Steroid Abuse
Teaser text:
Is your child using steroids? Here is the ten things experts say parents should look for.
