Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
| | A | | | B | | | C | | | D | | | E | | | F | | | G | | | H | | | I | | | J | | | K | | | L | | | M | |
| | N | | | O | | | P | | | Q | | | R | | | S | | | T | | | U | | | V | | | W | | | X | | | Y | |
Symptoms of Polymyalgia rheumatica
Symptoms tend to develop over a week or two, and are usually worse in the morning. PMR causes pain, tenderness and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, hips and thigh muscles. Often, the pain becomes quite severe and you may find it difficult to do normal daily tasks, like getting out of bed or climbing stairs. The stiffness also tends to be worse after sitting down for a long time.
As well as the pain and stiffness, you might also experience:
- extreme tiredness,
- depression,
- sweating a lot during sleep (night sweats),
- lack of energy and muscle weakness,
- a mild fever,
- loss of appetite or weight, and
- a general feeling of being unwell.
If you think you may have PMR, you should see your doctor or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for further advice. Some people delay seeing their GP because they think the aches and pains are a normal part of aging. The illness can be treated relatively easily and quickly – by getting medical attention early on, you may be able to prevent the pain and discomfort.
