Skin diseases of non-infectious nature, such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and a variety of allergic reactions - are frequent. To date, in medical practice, a common standard for the treatment of these diseases are special ointments, creams, gels and lotions containing glucocorticoids. Around the expediency of the use of these drugs ongoing disputes are ongoing, and there are more and more negative statements about the effectiveness and safety of such therapy.
Myth 1: Hormonal cream contains harmful chemicals
These drugs are manufactured on the basis of synthetic glucocorticoids. These components are absolutely safe analogues of hormones, which are produced by the bark of the adrenal glands in the body of each person and are responsible for normal carbohydrate, mineral, lipid metabolism. In addition, glucocorticoids control the development of inflammatory processes, prevent allergic skin reactions and eliminate puffiness in the undesired local reaction of immune cells.
Myth 2: in all such drugs a very high concentration of hormones
Given that most children are affected by non-infectious diseases of the skin, the medicaments under consideration are developed with different concentrations and types of active substances. They are divided into 4 groups according to the type of activity:
- weak;
- moderate;
- high;
- very high.
In addition, each subgroup is distinguished not only by the amount of glucocorticoid hormones, but also by their variety. Therefore, depending on the disease, the nature of its course, the age and condition of the patient, you can choose a suitable cream with the right concentration of active ingredients.
Myth 3: with the help of hormone cream you can cure any skin disease
The frequent cause of undesirable side effects is self-medication with local drugs of this group. It should be remembered that hormonal creams and ointments are intended for the treatment of exclusively non-infectious skin diseases, they can not be used in viral diseases, lesions caused by microbes. Moreover, glucocorticoid drugs may worsen the course of some diseases, for example, aggravate acne, demodectic and furunculosis.
Myth 4: you can use as much as you like with a suitable hormone cream
Even if the local preparation has been selected by a qualified specialist and is of great help, it can only be used within the limits of the doctor's prescription for the time that was determined, usually 10-14 days. The fact is that too long use of hormonal cream has the following consequences:
- suppression of local skin immunity;
- the occurrence of infection in the treatment sites;
- inhibition of collagen production;
- thinning, skin atrophy in areas of application;
- formation of pigmented spots .
Moreover, gradually the habituation of the skin to hormonal cream is developing and in the case of a sharp cancellation of the drug the diseases can become aggravated, and the lesions will already be resistant to the drug used.
Myth 5: The hormone cream needs to be applied very abundantly so that it penetrates deep layers of the skin
The penetrating power of the agents under consideration is very high in itself, so exceeding the recommended doses leads to the ingestion of glucocorticoid hormones into the systemic bloodstream, especially if the vessels are located close to the surface of the skin. In such cases, the adrenal gland is gradually depressed, which causes a slowdown in physical development and growth in children. For adults, the excess of active substances in the blood is fraught with hypertension, cataract and glaucoma.