Suddenly, muscle weakness and skin rash autoimmune disease 'Skinomyositis'?
Sep 26, 2024
|
◇ Don't take it lightly due to weak muscles and skin rashes
Dermatomyositis is a rare disease that occurs in about 5 to 10 people per 100,000 people worldwide, but it can come suddenly without precursor symptoms. The main symptoms are muscle weakness and skin rash. The weakening of muscle strength can especially weaken the neck, shoulders, pelvis, and commuting muscles, making daily activities difficult, such as climbing stairs, brushing hair, washing face, and standing up.
The skin rash includes ▲'heliotrop rash' ▲'heliotrop rash' ▲'Gotron spot' which is a rough red rash on the joints of the elbows, knees, wrists, and fingers' ▲'Shawl signature' on the neck, chest, back, and shoulders 'Machinery Gongson' ▲'The skin becomes sensitive to the sun's light' photosensitivity' ▲'calcium deposition' under the skin.
Jeong Seong-soo, a professor of rheumatology at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, said "In addition, severe inflammatory symptoms may appear in the lungs, cardiovascular vessels, and gastrointestinal tract, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus, percutaneous disease, rheumatoid arthritis may be accompanied."
◇ Wrong eating habits, causes of skin myositis
Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease whose cause has not yet been identified, but autoimmune diseases are related to genetic predisposition, immune system abnormalities, environmental factors, and cancer. Among environmental factors, it is known that 'disproportion of gastrointestinal bacteria' can lead to immune system abnormalities and cause chronic inflammation.
Since 70-80% of immune cells in our body are distributed in the gastrointestinal tract, efforts should be made to ensure that the microbial composition in the gastrointestinal tract remains desirable. It is recommended to avoid flour foods, milk, dairy products, simple sugars, and processed foods that cause gastrointestinal bacterial imbalances. Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseeds, walnuts, berries rich in antioxidants, green leafy vegetables, nuts, turmeric, etc. helps relieve inflammation. Proper water intake prevents dehydration, and probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics also help.
Professor Chung said "Other fatigue worsens the symptoms of dermatomyositis, so it's better to get enough rest. It is important to exercise regularly to maintain muscle strength, and to avoid skin irritation, UV protection, minimization of sunlight exposure, moisturizing, and maintaining indoor humidity."
Based on characteristic clinical symptoms such as skin rash and muscle weakness, the diagnosis of dermatomyositis is comprehensively made through image diagnosis such as confirmation of muscle enzyme levels and autoantibodies through blood tests, electromyography, and MRI. Muscle and skin biopsy can be performed if necessary. If necessary, it is necessary to differentiate it from muscular dystrophy, systemic sclerosis, lupus, Lyme disease, and infectious myositis. Additional tests can be performed to exclude other causes such as other autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancer.
◇Skin myositis, can it be cured
Since dermatomyositis is a chronic disease, treatment as well as regular medical evaluation and continuous treatment adjustment are important. However, the quality of life can be improved through the patient's lifestyle, maintenance of proper physical activity, and balanced eating habits.
Treatment focuses on reducing inflammation and managing symptoms, depending on the patient's condition. As a drug treatment, corticosteroids for reducing inflammation can be used. Immunosuppressants such as methotrexate, azathioprine, and mycophenolate mofetil are used in patients with steroid resistance. Recently, biological agents such as rituximab are sometimes used for patients who do not respond to existing treatments. Antimalarial drugs can be used to manage skin symptoms, and physical therapy to maintain and promote muscle strength is recommended.
Professor Chung said "The use of immunosuppressants can make you vulnerable to infection, so thorough infection prevention measures are needed. Regular monitoring is essential to confirm drug side effects and disease activity."
◇ It is not an infectious disease but at high risk of cancer
Since dermatomyositis is characterized by skin rash, there is a question of whether it is a disease that is often infected. Skin myositis is an autoimmune disease that attacks one's body beyond the immune system, so it is not contagious even when it comes into contact with the skin. In addition, patients with dermatomyositis have a relatively high risk of developing cancer. In particular, after the 50s, certain cancers such as ovarian cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and pancreatic cancer may coexist, so regular cancer tests may be necessary for a certain period of time after diagnosis of dermatomyositis. There is a misunderstanding that it occurs mainly in children, but dermatomyositis can occur in both children and adults. It occurs mainly in children aged 5 to 15 and adults aged 40 to 60. In particular, the incidence of women is about twice as high as that of men.
Professor Jeong Seong-soo "In many patients with dermatomyositis, skin rash appears as one of the initial symptoms, but some patients are first diagnosed with symptoms such as muscle weakness or fatigue. Early diagnosis and active treatment have a positive effect on prognosis, so if you have any suspicious symptoms, you should immediately get an accurate diagnosis through a thorough examination at the hospital."
|
bellho@sportschosun.com
