Dermatomyositis is a complex disease, but to put it simply, it is inflammation of the skin and muscles. It is also a disease of the connective tissues, which are the tissues that connect the joints and cartilages. Dermato (=skin)-myo (=muscles)-itis (inflammation) is primarily a disease of the skin tissues and the muscles, but it can also affect joints, the lungs, the food pipe, and the heart.
Both Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis, another condition where multiple muscles are inflamed, are related to one another and may present similarly.
The main symptoms of dermatomyositis are skin rashes that are followed by painful muscular weakness. It is an auto-immune, chronic disease that tends to progress over time. Treatment for dermatomyositis involves judicious use of conventional medicine in conjunction with homeopathy.
Causes of Dermatomyositis:
Some genetic, immunological, and environmental factors may be connected to the development of Dermatomyositis, though its exact cause is still unknown.
Genetic predisposition –Rarely does dermatomyositis run in the family, but there has been evidence of a connection between it and hLA.
Immunological imbalance predisposition –The patient should keep an eye out for any other autoimmune diseases in the family that may be highly and strongly prevalent as abnormal T-cell activities may be involved.
Drug-induced – It has been noted that the history of drug use and the development of Dermatomyositis are related:
- Penicillamine
- Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha medications
- Interferon
- Cyclophosphamide
Age and gender:
Any age can experience dermatomyositis, but there are two ages where it is most common:
Over 50 years of age, in adults,
In Children –five to fifteen years old
In terms of sexual cases, women outnumber men by a large margin.
Pathology:
In dermatomyositis, the muscles and the skin both experience the following changes:
- The epidermis can exhibit atrophic changes along with vascular interface alterations.
- Dermal mucin production has increased. Perivascular lymphocytic infiltration.
- Myositis with myofiber necrosis.
- Phagocytosis
- Late myofiber atrophy
- Fatty changes.
Symptoms of Dermatomyositis:
Skin rash and muscle pain are the most common symptoms of Dermatomyositis in patients, with the upper arms and thigh muscles being the most commonly affected proximal muscles.
The symptoms could be listed as under:
- Itching: If left untreated, the itching may become extremely intense and persistent.
- Erythema
- swelling and bumps near the edge of the eye
- balding in spots on a scaly scalp.
- the body’s severe stiffness, tenderness, and muscular weakness.
- weakness in the muscles, which causes a particular muscle group to become paralyzed
- Reduced mobility
- Fever
- Joint pain (Arthralgia)
- Weight loss
Complications of Dermatomyositis:
Dermatomyositis may eventually result in conditions that have symptoms and conditions that affect the inside of the body, including:
- Communication difficulties and trouble speaking
- Heart conditions called dilated cardiomyopathies cause the heart to enlarge and become inefficient at pumping blood.
- Participation of the lungs as a result of chest muscle weakness.
- Muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments in joints are permanently shortened as a result of calcium deposition beneath the skin.
- Cancers
- The tips of the fingers on mechanics’ hands are rough and cracked.
Dermatomyositis in children (Juvenile Dermatomyositis):
The adult form of dermatomyositis differs from the pediatric form by the presence of vasculitis of the small blood vessels, which can involve the gastrointestinal tract and myocardium in addition to skin and muscle. Unfortunately, dermatomyositis can affect even children, and in children, it can occasionally be very severe with the affections of veins and arteries, causing symmetric proximal weakness and skin rash.
In contrast to adult dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis does not cause cancer to develop.
According to the severity of the vasculitis, the prognosis for survival generally improves with better corticosteroid use.
Among pediatric inflammatory myopathies, it is one of the most prevalent.
Bimodal age distribution –(ages 5–9 yr and 10–14 yr)
Incidence –0.5/100,000
Symptoms include: –
progressive weakness of the proximal muscles that is symmetrical
– Calcinosis.
In addition to periorbital edema and telangiectasias of the upper eyelids, heliotrope is frequently characterized by a scaly, erythematous dermatitis over the dorsum of the hands and nonpalpable macular rashes.
It takes a lot of patience and understanding to raise a child who has one of these illnesses, and families must learn to adjust to their child’s illness and learn from their experiences.
There is no need to be overly protective; instead, it is best to strike a balance between encouraging your child and providing for their emotional needs. The discipline of your child should not change with the illness. Talk frequently with all family members; open communication reduces stress.
The earliest possible return to a regular schedule for your child is crucial.
Future of the disease varies depending on how quickly it spreads and how severe it is, but once it is fully treated, recurrence changes appear to be very rare and take no more than two years at the very least.
Diagnosis
When a patient exhibits inflamed skin, muscles, and muscular weakness, a competent clinician with experience treating such collagen diseases may suspect dermatomyositis. If you exhibit the aforementioned signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend the following tests to help confirm the diagnosis of dermatomyositis:
- Creatine kinase (CK) and aldolase are two examples of enzymes whose levels rise when muscles are damaged. Blood tests also look for specific antibodies the body produces as a result of the disease process, which damage its own muscle cells.
- Electrical activity in various muscles, changes detected by this test that confirm the presence of a muscle disease, and the extent of damage to the various muscles of the body are all factors in electromyography (EMG), a test that aids in evaluating the health of muscles and the nerve cells that regulate their actions and functions.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):An MRI of the muscles can be used to evaluate the disease’s effects on the muscle’s inflammatory response and structural changes.
- Skin or muscle biopsy: This test takes a small sample of your skin or muscle and sends it to a lab for analysis. It helps to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions that are similar, such as lupus and others.
Supportive Treatment
Regular physiotherapy improves muscle strength and prevents muscle atrophy in patients with dermatomyositis. It also increases the range of motion in the affected muscles. Patients with dermatomyositis are advised to use high-protection sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and rest when their muscles are severely inflamed.
Diet:
Patients are advised to follow a well-balanced diet, with a high-protein diet being recommended for those who have severe muscle damage and inflammation because the extra protein balances the loss and aids in regaining muscle mass and strength.
Food should be consumed early in the day for patients who have trouble eating, and meals should not be consumed right before bed.
Physical Therapy:A rehabilitative exercise program keeps the patient’s range of motion intact and prevents significant muscle damage. It is strongly advised to maintain physical activity to the highest degree possible.
Homeopathic treatment of Dermatomyositis :
Dermatomyositis is one disease where you need to be treated with an integration of homeopathy with the conventional medicines, in order to achieve the best control and relief. Homeopathy is known to have efficacy for a range of immunologically mediated diseases, such as dermatomyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, etc. Dermatomyositis is one disease where you need to be treated with an integration of homeopathy with the conventional
In addition to relieving symptoms like muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, and skin rash, homeopathy aids in the control of the underlying disease process in dermatomyositis and lessens reliance on immunosuppressive drugs like corticosteroids or cortisone.
Homeopathic Medicine of Dermatomyositis :
Bryonia, Arnica, Rhustux, Thuja.
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