What is corticosteroids?

Steroid medicines (corticosteroids) are often prescribed by doctors to treat many conditions. They help calm down the body's response to inflammation. You may take them for asthma, COPD, back pain, or allergic reactions. They are also used for other conditions such as autoimmune diseases, arthritis, and certain types of cancer. These medicines can be given as pills or injections.

The steroids discussed here are not the type of steroids used for body building.

Steroid medicine has many benefits. But one side effect of steroids is that they can raise your blood sugar level while you take them. In most cases, this is temporary.

If you already have diabetes, you may notice that your blood sugars jump higher after you take steroids.

Very rarely, taking steroids may lead to a new diagnosis of diabetes.

The most common symptoms of high blood sugar include:

• Thirst.
• Frequent urination.
• Weight loss.
• Blurry vision.