What is myositis, the autoimmune condition Samantha Ruth Prabhu is suffering from?

Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who's all set to play a surrogate mother in her upcoming film Yashoda, recently revealed that she is diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis. The actress broke her silence on her health update via her latest social media post. On Saturday, Oo Antava star took to her Instagram handle and shared a picture of herself, sitting on a couch with an IV drip connected to her wrist. Earlier, there were numerous rumours that Samantha had flown out of India for medical treatment because she was ill. However, now she revealed being diagnosed by the rare condition. 

What is myositis?

Myositis is the name for a group of rare conditions that can cause muscles to become weak, tired and painful. It is usually caused by a problem with the immune system, where it mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Some types of myositis are associated with skin rashes. This rare disease can be difficult to diagnose, and the cause is sometimes unknown. Primary symptoms may include muscle pain and soreness, fatigue, trouble swallowing, and difficulty breathing.

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According to Healthline, Myositis can affect both children and adults. With the exception of one type of myositis, women are more likely to be affected by this disease than men. 

Symptoms of Myositis

• Muscle weakness
• Aching or painful muscles 
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in performing activities of daily life
• Swallowing problems, or finding it hard to stand or sit. 
• Feeling unhappy or depressed

Samantha Ruth Prabhu's post

Revealing her medical condition, the actress posted a picture of herself in a recording studio, while being on an IV and penned, "Your response to the Yashodha Trailer was overwhelming. It is this love and connection that I share with all of you, that gives me the strength to deal with the seemingly unending challenges that life throws at me. A few months back I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis. I was hoping to share this after it had gone into remission. But it is taking a little longer than I hoped. I am slowly realising that we don’t always need to put up a strong front."

"Accepting this vulnerability is something that I am still struggling with. The doctors are confident that I will make a complete recovery very soon. I have had good days and bad days…. physically and emotionally…. and even when it feels like I can’t handle one more day of this, somehow that moment passes. I guess it can only mean that I am one more day closer to recovery. I love you.. THIS TOO SHALL PASS"