Expert How dangerous is cortisone cream really?

No good call: is cortisone cream really that dangerous?
Few drugs are used to treat as many ailments as cortisone. Doctors prescribe it for rheumatism, asthma, allergies or intestinal diseases. Especially with many skin diseases cortisone cream is considered an all-purpose weapon. However, the drug has a bad reputation in many patients. How harmful is it??

Drug with a wide range of applications
Cortisone (also cortisone) is prescribed by doctors for many different diseases. Very often inflammation and allergic reactions are used. It is administered for skin diseases such as itchy rash or dermatitis, rheumatism, asthma bonchiale, intestinal diseases or multiple sclerosis. And earlier in the year, a study was published that suggested that cortisone should also help against pneumonia. Although hardly any other drug has such a range of applications, many patients have reservations or fear of the side effects of cortisone. An expert tells you how dangerous the remedy really is.

How dangerous is cortisone really? Image: Zerbor - fotolia

Bad reputation from earlier times
In cortisone, many people fear that this will make the skin thinner, the bones fragile and the face bloated. Such fears date back to when cortisone-containing drugs were used in excessive doses, said Professor Torsten Zuberbier, director of the European Foundation for Allergy Research (ECARF) to the news agency dpa: "This is like a kitchen knife. When used properly, the benefits are great and the damage is zero. "

Not everyday like using cosmetics
Over-the-counter cortisone creams are very low-dose, yet they should not be used day to day like cosmetics: In the long run, the skin will be thinner, and expanded blood vessels will be visible, warned Professor Zuberbier. When used properly, the benefits far outweigh the benefits. Depending on the symptoms, care must be taken to use the right product. Thus, a cream is the right choice for wet skin problems, rather an ointment for dry skin.

Drug with numerous side effects
In the 1950s, cortisone was often used in overdose. At that time, the drug had also been used internally in excessively high doses and had caused severe side effects such as diabetes, hypertension, thrombosis, osteoporosis, fluid retention and green and cataracts. If cortisone is used not only locally, but "systemically", ie as a tablet or syringe, with prolonged use, various side effects, such as dizziness, headache, sleep disorders or calcium deficiency may occur. What is cortisone? What is popularly referred to as "cortisone" includes a group of anti-inflammatory drugs, the so-called glucocorticoids, which suppress the production of pro-inflammatory messengers in immune cells. In addition, since cortisone weakens the immune system, it prevents excessive immune reactions, such as in allergies. (Ad)