If your child has chest allergies or nasal allergies, it is very natural that your doctor will prescribe cortisone as one of the most important medicines for treatment. Cortisone is a hormone that is naturally excreted in the human body by the adrenal gland and is characterized by its magic effect in the treatment of infections that can infect various organs of the body. Reduces swelling and irritation associated with inflammation, as in cases of chest allergy or allergic rhinitis.
Types of curative cortisone:
Drugs containing cortisone are divided into two types:
- Drugs taken orally or intravenously, and extend to the entire body.
- Topical drugs such as nasal spray and chest, and skin creams and is limited to areas that are used for treatment only.
- Cortisone by mouth or vein:
- It is often used in immunological diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or systemic lupus erythematous (SLE).
- It is used in the treatment of acute allergies or severe chest infections.
- It is also used in cases of need to inhibit the body’s immune system, organs transplants or spinal cord transplants.
- Used to treat some cancers.
In all previous cases, cortisone is used as a long-term treatment, except for allergy and severe chest allergy, which is used as a short-term treatment in most cases for a period not exceeding one to 10 days.
Side effects of oral or intravenous cortisone:
Side effects of cortisone use in children depend on several factors:
- Length of treatment.
- Treatment dose.
- The treatment is continuous or sporadic
The usual side effects of Cortisone with short-term use within two weeks include:
- Increase appetite.
- Acne.
- Difficulty digestion.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Reduce immunity against microbes and the injury of fungal infections.
- Suffering from the symptoms of withdrawal of cortisone when stopping treatment suddenly.
Continuing treatment for longer periods carries the potential for the following side effects:
- Tension or mood change.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Headache.
- The shape of the face turns into a circular shape (unusually).
- Overweight.
- Increase the growth of facial hair and body.
- The presence of stretch marks on the skin.
- Feeling tired.
- Changes in the strength of vision.
- White water injury.
- Delaying growth of the child.
- Local corticosteroids:
- Nasal sprays:
It is mainly used in the treatment of nasal infections, and its side effects are very limited, the most prominent of which may be bleeding from the nose. Treatment can then be stopped for several days to get rid of bleeding.
- Chest Spray:
And is used in the treatment of chest allergies, and the most prominent side effects are infection of fungal mouth or coarseness of the sound, which can be avoided using a regulator of the sprayer or a sprayer room, and also reducing the dose.
- Skin creams:
It is used to treat some skin diseases, and usually has no side effects in the short term, but it causes skin thinning in the long term.
Although the magic effect of cortisone in the treatment of infections, but the side effects are many and must be treated with great care, and the mother must follow-up regular medical for her child who is undergoing cortisone treatment, as well as adherence to the dose and time of treatment, the mother should not stop cortisone treatment on her own under any circumstances, but the cessation of treatment must be carried out under full medical supervision.
