Polymyalgia rheumatica is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, stiffness, and exhaustion in joints, and is more common in people over 50. It can be sudden, affect both sides of the body, and cause flu-like symptoms. Treatment includes drugs like NSAIDs and corticosteroids.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a difficult disease that can cause discomfort, stiffness and pain in a variety of joints and the onset can sometimes be sudden. This condition is more associated with older people, normally affecting those aged 50 or older. It is considered an autoimmune disease and has some relation to other types of arthritis. In addition to pain in a variety of joints, polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms can include those that make people feel exhausted or tired.
The pain associated with this disease is rated moderate to severe, which means that some people will feel uncomfortable and others may experience extreme pain. The disease also varies according to the onset. Some people get out of bed in the morning with a sudden onset of most polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms and may feel tight or achy hips, aching thighs, aching shoulders, aching arms, and a tight neck. At first, the discomfort may be limited to one side of the body, but will usually affect both sides eventually, and as sometimes claimed, the condition can come on quickly or may take some time to fully develop.
Pain and discomfort are the most obvious symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica, and people may report feeling different levels of pain throughout the day. Some find that upon waking in the morning, the stiffness and pain are more noticeable, but with a little movement, there is an improvement and they are less uncomfortable. The degree of muscle soreness clearly varies, although when people do not receive treatment for this disease, it can gradually become more severe.
In addition to pain, the symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica can make some people feel like they’re catching the flu. They may feel very tired and run down and have a general feeling of being unwell. Some people also report losing weight. Along with these more common expressions of the disease other symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica have been reported and these can include depression, low-grade fever, loss of appetite, and muscle pain or stiffness in other areas of the body. Blood tests usually reveal that people are anemic.
The rheumatic symptoms of polymyalgia may be present with another condition. Some people already have or will get giant cell arthritis, which causes inflammation of the arteries. Some people see polymyalgia rheumatica as a precursor to unicellular arthritis. Still others are quick to point out that people who already have unicellular arthritis may have this condition second. Clearly the relationship between the two diseases is not fully understood.
Fortunately, there is a treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica that can help reduce the symptoms of the disease. This includes the administration of drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. With treatment, as long as people can tolerate the side effects, the condition can go away in about two to four years, or sooner.
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