Samantha Ruth Prabhu announced in her most recent Twitter post on Sunday that she has been diagnosed with myositis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness. "The doctors are confident that I will make a complete recovery very soon," the actress stated.
Actor Chiranjeevi posted a letter to Samantha Ruth Prabhu on Twitter wishing her a speedy recovery.
What is Myositis?
Myositis is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system attacks the muscles, resulting in inflammation, weakness, and pain. Two specific types are polymyositis and dermatomyositis.
It can be caused due to an injury, infection, or an autoimmune disease. Polymyositis causes muscle weakness, particularly in the shoulder, hips, and thigh muscles while dermatomyositis causes muscle weakness and skin rashes.
SYMPTOMS
Slow-onset symptoms of weakness, swelling, and muscle damage often are common. Other symptoms of myositis may include:-
Fatigue after walking or standing
Tripping or falling
Trouble swallowing or breathing
Aching or painful muscles and feeling very tired
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis can be done with help of medical history and physical examination. It may also include:-
Blood tests, to check the increased levels of antibodies
Muscle and skin biopsies, to check the level of damage and inflammation and other changes to the skin
MRI Scan, to know the place of inflammation
EMG (Electromyography)
TREATMENT
There is no cure for myositis but a combination of therapy and medications can control the symptoms.
First-line treatment - Steroids (high dose) in form of tablets and injections.
Bisphosphonates are given along with steroids to slow bone loss as chronic use of steroids leads to osteoporosis.
The symptoms may reappear once the dose of the steroid is lowered. In such cases, DMARDs(Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) like methotrexate, cyclosporine, etc. may be prescribed.
Regular blood test is required to check any possible side effects of drugs.
Biological therapy may be given in cases when DMARDs are not effective. It works by blocking specific targets causing inflammation.
Treatment is usually effective even in severe cases of myositis, although many people need lifelong drug treatment to keep their condition under control.
While your myositis is very active, resting is probably the best option, but once it has calmed down, regular exercise and physiotherapy can greatly improve your symptoms and health.
Disclaimer: Always consult a physician before following any medical advice or taking any medication. Don't take any medication until prescribed by your doctor thyself.