Polymyositis: (Webster definition with audio pronunciation) A chronic inflammatory disease of muscle that begins when white blood cells, the immune cells of inflammation, spontaneously invade muscles, especially the muscles closest to the trunk or torso, resulting in sometimes severe muscle pain, tenderness and weakness.
There are commonly periods of increased symptoms, called flares or relapses, and periods of decreased symptoms, known as remissions. The disease is slightly more common in females than males. It affects all age groups, although its onset is most common in middle childhood and in the twenties. It occurs throughout the world. It can be associated with skin rash and is then referred to as “dermatomyositis.” It also can affect other areas of the body and is, therefore, a systemic illness.
Occasionally, polymyositis is associated with other diseases of connective tissue such as systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Polymyositis is also associated with modestly increased risk of cancer, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung and bladder cancer.
Polymyositis treatment:
Initially, polymyositis is treated with high doses of corticosteroids. These are medications related to cortisone and can be given by mouth or intravenously. They are given because they can have a powerful effect to decrease the inflammation in the muscles. They usually are required for years and their continued use will be based on what the doctor finds related to symptoms, examination, and muscle enzyme blood test.
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Hi,
I was surprised to see your Word of the Day, its something you don’t hear about much. My dad died at 50 yrs old as a result of polymiositis (nearly 20 years ago). He suffered for many years physically, mentally and emotionally. It is a horrible, debilitating disease. It is possible my grandmother died from it too, although at the time, I am not sure if they were able to provide a concrete diagnosis (this was in the late late 1960s). She was also quite young -in her late 50s.
I hope that research continues to progress for this disease. My dad had a good doctor, and I believe was a “guinea pig” for many experiments over the years that he suffered from it. My hope is that maybe those efforts are helping others today live a less painful, longer life.
Thank you for sharing this information and increasing awareness.
What template are you running on this site ? I really like it. Could you post where you got it from ?