Myositis
Brief description of the disease
Myositis is an inflammation of the skeletal muscles that often affects more than one bone at once. In the latter case, we are talking about the development of a severe form of the disease - polymyositis. If the infection affects not only the bones, but also the skin, then the patient is diagnosed with dermatomyositis. Regardless of the form, the cause of skeletal muscle damage is: infectious diseases, toxic substances, professional activities of people, hypothermia, trauma, sprains and muscle cramps. In addition, spinal and cervical myositis can be caused by a number of pathologies that affect connective tissue, such as rheumatism, lupus erythematosus, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Forms and symptoms of myositis
Above, we have already mentioned the main types of the disease. Now let's dwell on them in more detail.
Dermatic myositis - symptoms of this form are most often manifested in middle-aged women. At the moment, the exact causes of the disease are unknown. Doctors suggest that viruses and genetic predisposition act as a provoking factor. The trigger mechanism can also be: prolonged exposure to the sun, hypothermia, stress and colds. In the dermal form, muscle myositis leads to rashes of purple or red color and swelling of the eyelids. Associated symptoms include chills, fever, weight loss, and weakness. Note that the deterioration of well-being in different people occurs in different ways. In some, dermal myositis develops very quickly, while in others it develops gradually, but in any case, it leads to very unpleasant consequences - muscle flabbiness, their shortening,accumulations of calcium salts and severe pain.
Polymyositis - affects several groups of skeletal muscles at once. The pain is less pronounced than in the dermal form, therefore, muscle weakness is the main symptom of the disease. At first, it is expressed in the form of mild fatigue with the simplest physical exertion, but then the patient's condition begins to deteriorate sharply to the point that the person cannot get out of bed on his own. At the last stage, myositis, the treatment of which began too late, leads to atrophy of the swallowing and chewing muscles, and then to the development of arthritis. In the case of adequate treatment, all of the above symptoms of myositis disappear within a few weeks.
Neck myositis is one of the most common forms. Such "popularity" is explained by the fact that the human neck is most often exposed to hypothermia, which leads to pathologies of skeletal muscles. Cervical myositis manifests itself as a pulling pain in the region of the cervical vertebrae, which radiates to the back of the head, eventually spreading to the shoulder blades and shoulder girdle. Very often myositis of the neck is confused with osteochondrosis. X-ray examination helps to avoid making a wrong diagnosis.
Stages of myositis
All forms of the disease first pass through the acute stage, when the symptoms of the lesion are most pronounced. In the event that a person does not go to the doctor in time, myositis of the back and neck flows into a chronic course. In this case, pain can be aggravated by external factors - cold weather, prolonged body position in one position, or simply at night. In addition to the natural development of pathology, chronic muscle myositis can be the result of some untreated infectious disease, including a common cold.
Myositis - treatment and prevention of the disease
The choice of treatment method depends on the causes of the disease. If the myositis of the back or neck is of parasitic origin, the patient is prescribed anthelmintic drugs. For infectious causes, antibiotics are best. Autoimmune processes are stopped with the help of glucocorticoids and a course of taking immunosuppressants. Regardless of the reasons, the patient is also prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, warming ointments that improve muscle trophism, and antipyretics in case of high fever. If a person is diagnosed with acute myositis, treatment involves adherence to bed rest and a complete rejection of heavy physical exertion.
Surgical intervention is indicated for a purulent form, when muscle myositis leads to an accumulation of pus and other serious consequences. In this case, the surgeon opens the site of infection and applies a draining bandage. Local use of antibiotics (powders, ointments) is acceptable.
In addition, for the treatment of myositis, the following are used: massage (contraindicated in a purulent form), physiotherapy methods, a special diet and exercise therapy. Prevention of myositis consists in refusing to work hard in the cold, avoiding muscle hypothermia, timely treatment of infectious and colds.
YouTube video related to the article:
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
