Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis - Home Treatment
To feel your best during treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) or giant cell arteritis (GCA):
- Take your medicine as prescribed by your doctor.
- Work closely with your doctor and nurse, reporting any medicine side effects or symptoms of giant cell arteritis, such as headache, jaw pain, and vision problems.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Stop smoking, and avoid being around tobacco smoke.
- Reduce how much alcohol you drink. It's a good idea to have no more than one beer or one glass of wine each day.
- Be sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D to help prevent bone thinning (osteoporosis) if you are taking corticosteroids.
- Get mild, regular weight-bearing exercise, which will help keep your bones strong and bolster your physical and emotional ability to handle your illness.
If any of your symptoms get worse or come back, contact your doctor or nurse.
Understanding Scleroderma -- Diagnosis and Treatment
Scleroderma is often difficult to diagnose, since it may look like many other diseases. Changes in skin thickness, the presence of specific antibodies in the blood, or early blood-vessel changes, can be helpful in diagnosing the disease. Your doctor may remove a small tissue sample (biopsy) for analysis to help in the diagnosis of scleroderma. One useful indicator that doctors use is the nail-fold capillary test. This focuses on one of the earliest identifiable signs of scleroderma: the disappearance...
Read the Understanding Scleroderma -- Diagnosis and Treatment article > >
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