Polymyositis (pol-e-my-o-SY-tis) is a rare inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness. Sometimes, the effects of polymyositis can also involve the lungs.

Most often, polymyositis affects muscles closest to the trunk on both sides of your body. In addition to the larger muscles of your arms and legs, polymyositis can weaken muscles in your throat and chest, creating the potential for complications involving your lungs.

Breathing problems may develop if your chest muscles are affected by the disease, and in severe cases, can lead to respiratory failure. Aspiration pneumonia can develop if difficulty swallowing causes you to inhale food or liquids, including saliva, into your lungs (aspiration).

Polymyositis is often associated with other conditions that may cause complications of their own. Interstitial lung disease causes scarring (fibrosis) of the lung tissue, making lungs stiff and inelastic. Signs and symptoms include a dry cough and shortness of breath.

If you have these symptoms, evaluation of your lung function may include pulmonary function tests and imaging studies may be recommended, such an X-ray or a computerized tomography (CT) scan of your lungs. A swallowing study may be helpful in diagnosing aspiration.

There is no cure for polymyositis, but treatment to control the disease can lessen the likelihood it will affect your lungs. Talk to your doctor about medications that can help control your symptoms.

If you are already experiencing lung symptoms, certain therapies can help. Your doctor might suggest:

• Speech therapy, which can help you learn how to compensate for swallowing muscles weakened by polymyositis
• A dietetic assessment so that a registered dietitian can teach you how to prepare foods that are easy to chew and swallow

The term "polypill" describes a pill that contains a combination of several medications commonly used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. Doctors aren't yet sure what the best combination of medications is for the polypill. It will probably include low doses of these medications:

• Aspirin
• Cholesterol-lowering medications (statins)
• Medications to make your heart beat with less force
• Medications to lower your blood pressure

The polypill is still being studied, and it isn't currently available for sale in the United States. But, studies suggest that the combined medication helps people better adhere to their treatment. That's probably because it's easier to remember to take one medication than multiple ones.

The polypill also seems to be effective at lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Longer studies need to be done to show whether the combination drug will lower deaths from heart disease and stroke too.

There was some concern the polypill might have more side effects than when medications are taken individually. However, there were low rates of side effects in recent clinical trials of the polypill. Possible side effects included a cough, muscle aches and stomach irritation.

One big drawback is that medication dosages can't be adjusted in a polypill. A possible fix is to have more than one type of polypill.

Some early research suggested that drinking pomegranate juice slowed the progression of prostate cancer, but additional research failed to confirm those results.

For example, in some studies of men with recurrent prostate cancer and rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, researchers found that drinking pomegranate juice or taking pomegranate juice extract significantly slowed the rate at which PSA was rising (PSA doubling time). A longer PSA doubling time can indicate that the cancer may be progressing less rapidly.

But these studies didn't use a control group or a placebo group. Later studies using a placebo-controlled design found no benefit for pomegranate juice extract.

If you choose to drink pomegranate juice, talk with your doctor first. Although pomegranate juice is generally safe, there is evidence that it may affect how your body processes certain prescription medications. Those medications include the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and some drugs used to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Small studies seem to suggest that drinking pomegranate juice might lower cholesterol, but overall the evidence is mixed. It's thought that pomegranate juice might block or slow the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries of people who are at higher risk of heart disease.

Like many fruit juices, pomegranate juice contains antioxidants, especially polyphenols. Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants at higher levels than do many other fruit juices, and it contains nearly three times as many antioxidants as green tea or red wine does. Antioxidants are thought to provide several heart-protecting benefits, including reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol.

Pomegranate juice is generally safe to drink if you take some precautions. Check the label to be sure that you're drinking pure pomegranate juice, and not a mixture of juices that contains added sugar. The sugar adds more calories to the juice, which reduces its heart-health benefits.

As you should do with any herbal or dietary supplement, talk to your doctor about pomegranate juice before you start drinking it regularly as a supplement. Pomegranate juice may cause dangerous side effects when it interacts with certain prescription medications, such as the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, including captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and ramipril (Altace).

You can take steps to help a loved one cope with stress brought on by a traumatic event, whether it's a result of an accident, violence of any kind — such as an assault; verbal, physical, domestic or sexual abuse; or military combat — or another type of trauma.

A person with acute stress disorder (ASD) has severe stress symptoms during the first month after the traumatic event. Often, this involves feeling afraid or on edge, flashbacks or nightmares, difficulty sleeping, or other symptoms. If your loved one has symptoms that last longer than a month and make it hard to go about daily routines, go to work or school, or handle important tasks, he or she could have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Whether your loved one has ASD or PTSD, assessment and counseling (psychotherapy) by a professional can make a critical difference in recovery. Encourage him or her to talk to a doctor or a trained mental health professional.

You can also help by being a supportive listener, without attempting to "fix" the situation. Here are some suggestions:

• Be willing to listen, but don't push. Make sure your loved one knows that you want to hear about his or her feelings. But if the person isn't ready or willing to talk about it, don't push. Just reassure your loved one that you'll be there if and when he or she is ready.
• Choose a time to talk. When you're both ready to talk, choose a time and place where you'll be free of distractions and interruptions. Then truly listen. Ask questions if you don't understand something. But avoid any urges to second-guess, make assumptions, give advice or say, "I know just how you feel."
• Recognize when to take a break. If you sense that the conversation is becoming too intense for your loved one, provide him or her with an opportunity to stop for now and take up the conversation again on another day. Then follow through.
• Get help if talk of suicide occurs. If your loved one talks or behaves in a way that makes you believe he or she might attempt suicide, respond calmly, but act immediately. Make sure the person is not left alone. If it's safe to do so, you may want to discreetly remove pills, firearms or any other objects that could be used for self-harm, and get help from a trained professional as soon as possible.

If you think your loved one may attempt suicide, get help now:

• Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
• Call a suicide hotline number. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) any time of day to talk with a trained counselor. Use that same number and press "1" to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

Coping with traumatic stress is an ongoing process, and there is no specific time frame for recovery. You might have many conversations with your loved one over weeks or months as he or she processes the traumatic experience during or after a period of professional care.

You'll be of more help to your loved one if you learn about ASD and PTSD from trusted medical sources and encourage your loved one to follow treatment recommendations. You may need to help your loved one stay connected with healthy social supports.

And don't forget to take care of yourself. Coping with trauma that happened to a loved one can be difficult to deal with, and it can make it harder for you to help your loved one if you don't take care of yourself. Take time for the things you enjoy, accept help from others when needed and make an appointment to see a mental health professional if you're struggling to cope.

If you abruptly stop taking prednisone or taper off too quickly, you might experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms:

• Severe fatigue
• Weakness
• Body aches
• Joint pain
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Lightheadedness

Prednisone is similar to cortisol, a hormone naturally made by your adrenal glands. If you take prednisone for more than a few weeks, your adrenal glands decrease cortisol production. A gradual reduction in prednisone dosage gives your adrenal glands time to resume their normal function.

The amount of time it takes to taper off prednisone depends on the disease being treated, the dose and duration of use, and other medical considerations. A full recovery can take anywhere from a week to several months. Contact your doctor if you experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms as you are tapering off the drug.

Pregnancy acne can be treated with self-care and medication.

Pregnancy acne isn't a special form of acne. Some women simply seem to have trouble with acne during pregnancy. The likely culprit is an overproduction of oil (sebum) — which happens when certain hormones go into overdrive.

To treat pregnancy acne, start with self-care:

• Wash problem areas with a gentle cleanser. Twice a day, use your hands to wash your face with a mild soap and warm water. Avoid certain products, such as facial scrubs, astringents and masks, because they tend to irritate skin, which can worsen acne. Excessive washing and scrubbing also can irritate skin.
• Shampoo regularly. If you tend to develop acne around your hairline, shampoo your hair every day.
• Don't pick or squeeze blemishes. Doing so can cause infection or scarring.
• Avoid irritants. Don't use oily or greasy cosmetics, sunscreens, hairstyling products or acne concealers. Use products labeled water-based or noncomedogenic, which means they are less likely to cause acne.
• Watch what touches your skin. Keep your hair clean and off your face. Also avoid resting your hands or objects on your face. Tight clothing or hats also can pose a problem, especially if you're sweating. Sweat and oils can contribute to acne.

Medication also can be used to treat pregnancy acne but any medication applied to your skin or swallowed during pregnancy can enter your bloodstream and affect your baby. While most ingredients in over-the-counter topical acne treatments haven't been studied in pregnancy, typically only small amounts are absorbed into the skin. This makes it unlikely that the treatments would pose a risk to a developing baby.

Generally, skin treatments containing erythromycin (Erygel) and clindamycin (Cleocin T, Clindagel, others) are considered safe. The safety of using benzoyl peroxide to treat pregnancy acne hasn't been established. This treatment should only be used if clearly needed.

Acne medication known to cause birth defects — including oral isotretinoin (Amnesteem, Claravis) and topical retinoids — must be avoided during pregnancy.

If you're concerned about pregnancy acne, consult your dermatologist or your health care provider. Together you can weigh the benefits and risks of various treatment options.

Pregnancy after gastric bypass can be safe and healthy if managed well by you and your health care provider. In fact, research suggests that pregnancy after weight-loss surgery might be safer for both mother and baby than pregnancy complicated by obesity.

While more research is needed, studies suggest that weight-loss surgery before pregnancy might protect women and their babies from obesity-related problems during pregnancy, including:

• Gestational diabetes
• Preeclampsia — high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organs, often the kidneys, after 20 weeks of pregnancy

If you have had weight-loss surgery and are considering pregnancy, consult your health care provider for help with planning before conception. You might also consult a registered dietitian along with your gastric bypass surgeon for advice on nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy.

Experts typically recommend postponing pregnancy until your weight stabilizes — typically at least 12 to 18 months after surgery. Some experts recommend waiting longer.

Rapid or persistent weight loss might deprive a growing baby of important nutrients, leading to low birth weight. To monitor your baby's growth, your health care provider might recommend a fetal ultrasound during the third trimester.

After considering the type of weight-loss surgery and your specific nutritional needs, your health care provider might also recommend certain nutritional supplements — such as folic acid, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron and calcium — in addition to a daily prenatal vitamin before and during pregnancy.

Pregnancy and hot tubs can be a risky combination.

Spending more than 10 minutes in a hot tub can raise your body temperature higher than 101 F (38.3 C). Limited research has shown a small increased risk of neural tube defects — serious abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord — in the babies of women who have fevers during early pregnancy. Some studies also suggest that a fever during pregnancy might increase the risk of miscarriage, but further research is needed. While it's not clear whether an abnormally high body temperature caused by fever has the same effect on pregnant women as a high temperature caused by hot tub use, experts urge caution.

If you might be pregnant and plan to use a hot tub, or you choose to use a hot tub during pregnancy, take these steps to reduce the risks:

• Limit time in the hot tub to less than 10 minutes.
• Avoid sitting near the inlet that provides newly heated water.
• Avoid submerging your head, arms, shoulders and upper chest.
• Get out of the hot tub if you feel any discomfort.

You might limit time in the hot tub to even less than 10 minutes or avoid using a hot tub if you aren't in good health or you already have an elevated temperature due to fever, exercise, or previous hot tub or sauna use.

If you used a hot tub for a lengthy period of time early in pregnancy, consider talking to your doctor about ways to detect neural tube defects during pregnancy.

For many women, the ability to digest lactose improves during pregnancy, especially later in pregnancy. As a result, even if you're normally lactose intolerant, you might be able to drink milk and eat other dairy products without discomfort.

Calcium helps build your baby's bones and teeth. The Institute of Medicine recommends 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day during pregnancy. Pregnant teens need 1,300 milligrams a day.

If you experience lactose intolerance during pregnancy or dislike milk or other dairy products, consider these tips:

• Choose other calcium-rich foods, such as almonds, broccoli, edamame, chickpeas, pinto beans, tofu, spinach, and calcium-fortified foods and drinks. If you drink almond milk, choose one with added calcium.
• Take a calcium supplement.
• Many people who are lactose intolerant can usually drink small portions of milk, such as a half cup, with a meal and have minimal or no symptoms.
• Try lactose-free or lactose-reduced products, including milk, cheese and yogurt.
• Yogurt and fermented products, such as cheeses, are often better tolerated than is regular milk. The lactose in yogurt is already partially digested by the active bacteria in yogurt.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, especially during the second half of your pregnancy. Vitamin D is typically included in your prenatal vitamin, along with calcium.

If you're concerned about how much calcium you're getting, talk to your health care provider.