Health Advice: Fibromyalgia, AIDS and Dental Health and a Safe Prenatal Test

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ILLUSTRATION: CLAUDIA TANTILLO
You may be one of the 3 to 6 million Americans with a rheumatic condition called fibromyalgia or fibrositis that causes musculoskeletal aching, pain and stiffness (sites may shift) and fatigue.

The To Your Health column covers health advice topics on new medical discoveries including fibromyalgia, a dental study reveals why AIDS is not transmitted orally, correcting baby bites and a safe prenatal test.

Health Advice: Fibromyalgia, AIDS and Dental Health and a Safe Prenatal Test

When it concerns the fitness of body, mind or spirit, the editors ofAmerican Health are there, staying on top of up-to-date medical research, separating fad from fact and helping you preserve and improve life’s most precious gift–your good health. 

The “Great Masquerader”

Sore muscles? It might not be from too much exercise. You may be one of the 3 to 6 million Americans with a rheumatic condition called fibromyalgia or fibrositis that causes musculoskeletal aching, pain and stiffness (sites may shift) and fatigue. This soft-tissue disorder, sometimes dubbed the “great masquerader,” doesn’t show up on lab tests or x-rays, so the diagnosis is often made only after eliminating such possibilities as rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, polymyositis (a degenerative muscle disease), lupus erythematosus (a connective tissue disorder), or even such suspects as pinched nerves, bursitis, tendonitis and tennis elbow.

  • Published on Sep 1, 1988
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