myositis

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Definition - What does myositis mean?

Myositis is a medical condition subdivided into two main categories including dermatomyositis and polymyositis, carrying distinctive symptoms including chronic fatigue, inflammation, and muscle atrophy, often secondary to epidemiological health implications that point to anemia, autoimmune diseases, infections, thyroid issues, vitamin D deficiency, insomnia, and sleep apnea. Physicians conduct testing followed by treatment interventions to alleviate symptoms such as a consistent exercise regimen, physical therapy, heat therapy, use of assistive devices, and prescribed medication (i.e., corticosteroids).

SureHire explains myositis

Individuals should consult a physician to identify causative factors attributed to bouts of fatigue, which may suggest subsets of myopathy including dermatomyositis (DM), idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), juvenile forms of myositis (JM), necrotizing myopathy (NM), polymyositis (PM), and sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), requiring therapeutic applications to stem the mortality rate given the fact that no cure exists. Since the medical community lacks ample evidence to confirm the origin of myositis, a battery of testing is mandatory to generate definitive biofeedback for diagnostic purposes in which environmental factors such as exposure to infectious microbes and viral agents are common culprits. Individuals with persistent fatigue are susceptible to detrimental health effects via disruption of autonomous physiological cues such as breathing and swallowing coupled with depleted energy that makes regular duties and tasks cumbersome.

In many cases, fatigue is a clinical oversight for patients with myositis; however, physicians, physical therapists, and nutritionists can lay the groundwork in conveying practical measures to bolster energy levels through proper dietary habits, adopting an exercise routine, acquiring sufficient rest and referral for cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). In the workplace, employers can introduce ergonomic solutions tailored for individuals with myositis with modifiable workstations (i.e., adjustable chairs, desks, etc.) to facilitate job performance. Also, episodes of fatigue can carry the stigma of apathy or indifference among colleagues, underscoring communication as a bedrock for eliminating potential bias or discrimination against people with legitimate cases of myositis.

While myositis is a rare condition, pooling resources together to fund quantitative research studies to develop innovative treatments for myositis remains at an impasse, drawing blowback from detractors or uninformed personnel about the adverse emotional and physical consequences of fatigue.

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