Polymyositis

Overview

Polymyositis is a rare autoimmune disease that makes your immune system attack your muscles.

It’s a type of myositis. Myositis causes chronic inflammation in your muscles — swelling that comes and goes over a long time. Eventually, this inflammation makes your muscles feel weak.

If you have polymyositis, you may have inflammation in multiple muscles at the same time. It usually affects the muscles on or near the center of your body, including in your:

Arms.
Hips and thighs.
Chest.
Back.
Abdomen.
Neck.

Experts aren’t certain what causes polymyositis, and there’s no cure for it. A healthcare provider will treat the symptoms you’re experiencing and suggest ways to manage how much they affect your daily routine.

How common is polymyositis?

Polymyositis is rare. Experts estimate that it affects fewer than 25 out of every 100,000 people every year.

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Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

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