Myasthenia Gravis
What is Myasthenia Gravis ?
Myasthenia gravis (my-us-THEE-nee-uh GRAY-vis) causes muscles under your voluntary control to feel weak and get tired quickly. This happens when the communication between nerves and muscles breaks down.
There’s no cure for myasthenia gravis. Treatment can help with symptoms. These symptoms can include weakness of arm or leg muscles, double vision, drooping eyelids, and problems with speaking, chewing, swallowing and breathing. This disease can affect people of any age, but it’s more common in women younger than 40 and in men older than 60.
Symptoms
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Droopy eyelids
- Blurry or double vision
- Limited facial expressions
- Difficulty speaking
- Cause difficulty swallowing
- Trouble walking
- Affect chewing
- Change facial expressions
Cause
Myasthenia gravis (autoimmune type) happens when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Researchers aren’t sure why this happens. Studies suggest that certain immune system cells in your thymus gland have trouble identifying what’s a threat to your body (like bacteria or viruses) versus healthy components. A genetic change causes congenital myasthenia. Antibodies passed from a birth mother to a fetus during pregnancy cause neonatal myasthenia.
Risk Factors
Myasthenia gravis is most common among females around age 40 and males after age 60. The condition can affect anyone at any age. You may be more at risk of developing myasthenia gravis if you have a history of other autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Have thyroid disease. If you have myasthenia gravis, your symptoms could trigger (start) if you take medications for malaria and heart arrhythmias. Underwent surgery. Had an infection.
When to see a Doctor
Talk to your doctor if you have difficulty Breathing, Seeing, Swallowing, Chewing, Walking, Using your arms or hands, Holding up your head.