Polymyositis - Medtick
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Polymyositis

What is it?

A condition where one has inflamed (hot, red, swollen) muscles causing weakness in muscles which happens over days, weeks or months.

  • It is found mostly in people over the age of 20 and affects more women than men and symptoms can vary with each individual.
  • The weakness (and at times muscle pain) begins with muscles that are closest to and within the trunk of the body i.e. Neck, shoulder, hip, back and stomach muscle (days, weeks to months later).
  • Some patients also have weakness in muscles further from the trunk, like hands and fingers as well as  patients experience muscle pain, breathing problems and/or trouble swallowing.

Diagnosis Tests

Cause

  • Unknown
  • An autoimmune disease occurs when your body’s disease-fighting cells  called antibodies, attack your healthy cells in this case you blood vessels and muscles.
  • Infection
  • Weak immune system

Symptoms

  • Rash which is patchy, dusky, itchy and reddish or purple?
  • Dry cough longer than three weeks or breathing difficulties?
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Difficulty from getting up form a seated position, or getting up after a fall?
  • Difficulty chewing swallowing, talking, slurred speech?
  • Dry and/or scaly and/or rough skin?
  • Thickening of the skin on the hands?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Medical Emergency

Do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have and/or develop:

This condition can lead to:

Pregnancy

  • This condition may worsen during pregnancy in women whose disease is active increasing the risk of premature birth or stillbirth.

Overlap with other conditions

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Polymyositis in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

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