What is myopathy and what are its symptoms?
Dr. Mohammad Hossein Delshad
تهران
What is myopathy and what are its symptoms?.. ==============================
Myopathy is a term for diseases that affect the muscles attached to bones (skeletal muscles).
Myopathy may be caused by heredity in people or may be acquired during life....
People with this disease may have difficulty doing daily activities such as bathing, combing their hair, or standing up from a chair.
This group of diseases, known as myopathy, attacks muscle fibers and weakens your muscles.
Introduction to types of myopathy
This disease can be classified based on its cause. In general, myopathies are divided into two categories: hereditary and acquired.
Hereditary myopathies
Hereditary myopathies are those where you are born with such a problem.... Often a problem occurs due to an abnormal gene mutation in the fetus.... Hereditary myopathies are as follows:
#### Congenital myopathies
Symptoms of congenital myopathy appear at birth or in early childhood.. but may not appear until adolescence or even later in adulthood.
#### Mitochondrial myopathy
Mitochondrial myopathy caused by defects in mitochondria, the energy-producing part of cells.... This disease has muscle weakness... but it also has other symptoms...
Because mitochondrial disorders generally affect other organs such as the heart, brain, and digestive system... diseases of this category can be caused by gene mutations with or without a family history.
#### Metabolic myopathy
Defects in the genes of enzymes that are needed for normal muscle function and movement cause metabolic...
This often manifests itself in the form of inability to perform sports activities, muscle pains caused by sports in the shoulders and thighs, etc.
#### Muscular dystrophy
This condition is caused by the gradual destruction of muscle tissue due to abnormal or insufficient structural proteins....
Muscular dystrophy affects your arms or legs to varying degrees, and some muscles in your eyes and face will also be affected.
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### Acquired myopathies
Acquired myopathies develop over time and can be due to other medical disorders, infections, electrolyte imbalances, exposure to certain medications, etc...
Cases of acquired myopathy:
#### Autoimmune or inflammatory myopathy
In autoimmune myopathy, the body attacks itself and causes problems in muscle function.
#### Toxic myopathy
The toxic type occurs when the poison or drug interferes with the structure or function of the muscles.
#### Poisons such as alcohol and toluene
Medicines such as immunotherapy, corticosteroids, cholesterol-lowering drugs, colchicine, amiodarone, chloroquine, etc.
#### Endocrine myopathies
This type of myopathy occurs when hormones disrupt muscle function.
Thyroid: Hypothyroidism is more common.
But hyperthyroidism can also be a problem.
Parathyroid: Hyperthyroidism leads to increased calcium levels.
Adrenal: such as Addison's disease and Cushing's syndrome
#### Infectious myopathies
Infectious myopathies occur due to infection and affect muscle function, which can include:
- Viral infections such as HIV, influenza and Epstein-Barr
- Bacterial pyomyositis
- Lyme disease
- parasitic infections such as toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, cystic cercus cous
- fungal infections such as candida and coccidiomycosis
- Electrolyte imbalance
High or low levels of the following electrolytes can interfere with muscle function:
- Potassium: hypokalemia (low), hyperkalemia (high)
- Magnesium: Hypermagnesemia (high)
#### Critical illness myopathy
This type of disease is in the organs and muscles that help you breathe... This complication occurs when you are kept in the intensive care unit.
Such conditions can be caused in part by staying in bed for a long time or by drugs given to the patient during care, such as muscle relaxants, such as corticosteroids or sedatives.
What people get myopathy
There is a possibility of contracting this disease in every person. The factors that may increase the risk of contracting this disease are as follows:
- Having a family history
- an autoimmune, metabolic or endocrine disorder
- Exposure to some drugs or poisons
The prevalence of myopathy depends on its type.
What are the symptoms of myopathy?. Many myopathies have common symptoms, these common symptoms are as follows:
- Muscle weakness is usually more common and severe in the upper arms, shoulders and thighs.
- Cramping, stiffness and muscle spasm are felt.
- Feeling tired after activity
- lack of energy
How does myopathy make the patient feel? Patients suffering from myopathy suffer from such problems:
- Difficulty in performing daily life activities such as bathing, dressing or combing hair.
- Difficulty rising from a chair, climbing stairs, or activities that require raising the arm, such as changing a light bulb
- cramping or muscle spasm
- Muscular fatigue following activity
- shortness of breath with effort
The muscles of the arms and legs are usually not affected.
How is myopathy diagnosed?.. To diagnose the disease, the doctor will ask about your medical and family history, prescribed medications and your symptoms.
Also, a physical examination will be done for you, which includes checking your muscle strength, balance, feelings, etc... The tests that may be considered for the patient are as follows:
- blood test
- electromyography
- MRI imaging
- genetic tests
- muscle biopsy
Treatment of myopathy
After the diagnosis of this disease by the doctor, according to the symptoms you have, a special treatment plan will be considered for you...
Most treatments include physical therapy, occupational therapy and some types of exercise, other more specific treatments vary depending on the patient's symptoms.
In general, most acquired myopathies can be controlled and treated to minimize the symptoms caused by the disease.
Some hereditary myopathies have specific treatment strategies that prevent the progression of the disease.
Currently, hereditary myopathies do not have a definitive treatment.. But people can control this disease with physical therapy and doing certain types of exercise.
### Inflammatory and autoimmune-related myopathies
The goal of treating this type of myopathy is to reduce inflammation and the autoimmune response of your body...
This type of myopathy is usually treated with such solutions:
- drugs that suppress the immune system
- Corticosteroids
Hereditary and genetic myopathies
Most hereditary and genetic myopathies do not have specific treatment.. The control and treatment considered for this disease are different depending on the patient's symptoms.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy and pump disease are disorders that can be treated with certain drugs
### Other acquired myopathies
The physician controls acquired myopathies, including endocrine, toxic, and infectious myopathies, by treating the underlying disease that leads to the myopathy.
Toxic-related myopathies are treated by stopping stimulants such as alcohol and toluene or drugs such as statins.
Muscular symptoms caused by bacterial, viral or other organism infections are treated with antibiotics.
