Polymyalgia Rheumatica Symptoms
Polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms are a characterized by severe pain and stiffness of muscles of hips, neck and shoulders. The symptoms, believed to be caused by disorder in the body’s immune system functions that affect mostly women and adults over 50, are similar to influenza, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. The usually moderate to severe in intensity symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica appear suddenly but detection cannot be confirmed by laboratory examinations performed.
Most people affected by polymyalgia rheumatica need medical treatment to reduce the severity and manage the symptoms. Medications to help manage pain and inflammation may be prescribed and administered by the physician who has evaluated the extent of the effect of the disease. The polymyalgia rheumatica often disappears unexpectedly after sometime. However, prompt medical attention should be sought for if persistent muscle pains are felt and are gradually worsening especially if accompanied by fever and weakness suddenly felt by the patient.
What are polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms?
Symptoms of stiffness and maybe severe muscle pains that are becoming worse are felt upon waking up in the morning or after a few hours of being inactive or being at rest. Causes of polymyalgia rheumatica are still unknown but experts believe that a weak or malfunctioning body immune system is one of them that erroneously destroy healthy body tissues.
How are polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms controlled?
Oral medications that give pain relief and reduce inflammation are known effective in the control of polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms. These medications include anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal drugs strictly administered by health professionals. Other doctors give analgesics and pain relievers to minimize and decrease severe pains felt by patients. The medications taken by patients maybe given for long period of time and depend on the seriousness of the disease as diagnosed by the health provider.
Polymyalgia rheumatica affects the connective tissues, the affected muscle groups and other body parts. Other common Polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms are vague like malaise and fatigue and weak feeling that are not really coupled with the illness. Since no specific tests to diagnose polymyalgia rheumatica are performed to readily identify the ailment, all potential causes of the symptoms maybe performed to exclude other illnesses with the same symptoms like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Other patients experience varied polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms such as constant fever; joints pain; aching muscles and stiffness thereof especially the hips, neck and shoulder parts; malaise or lethargy and weight loss, at times. In worst cases, polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms include immune system disorder also known as giant cell arteritis or temporal arteritis. This involves swelling of the veins of the person’s head that can reduce supply of oxygenated blood to the brain. The condition may lead to patient’s blindness or possibly stroke which is life-threatening.
So if you or one of your family members show polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms, it is best to consult the professional physician and determine the real cause of the pain or inflammation as this may lead to other serious problems, if not immediately acted upon.
Please watch the video below for more on Polymyalgia Rheumatica and it’s symptoms: