Health Central highlights how to stay healthy with Dermatomyositis in an interview with David R. Fernandez, MD, PhD, rheumatologist at HSS. 

Taking charge of your health is always important—but even more so when you live with a challenging condition like dermatomyositis, a rare inflammatory disease that causes skin rashes and muscle weakness, affecting one in 100,000 people worldwide. 

Eating well helps support your overall body function—especially for people with immune system disorders. While there’s no one-size-fits-all diet to control dermatomyositis, “patients will often tell me they feel better after making a modification to their diet or trying to eat healthier,” said Dr. Fernandez. 

Is working up a sweat good for a person with dermatomyositis? Many studies have been done, and the verdict is clear: Exercise is not only safe, but is beneficial for folks with this condition who are not actively flaring. “Over time, as the muscle heals from microscopic injuries caused by exercise, it comes back stronger,” explained Dr. Fernandez. “Even if the dermatomyositis is well-controlled by medicines, any strength deficits that were brought on by the disease can take a long time to reverse, and the best way to rapidly build back strength and function is with exercise.”

Read the full article at healthcentral.com.