Brain and ENT Clinic – Dr Lalit Mahajan In Nagpur & Dr Rachna Gangwani Mahajan In Nagpur
Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles, which are responsible for breathing and moving parts of the body, including the arms and legs.
The name myasthenia gravis, which is Latin and Greek in origin, means “grave, or serious, muscle weakness.”
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a long-term neuromuscular disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness.
The most commonly affected muscles are those of the eyes, face, and swallowing. It can result in double vision, drooping eyelids, trouble talking, and trouble walking. Onset can be sudden A hallmark of this disease is increasing muscle weakness as the muscle gets used, with the weakness resolving with rest. So, muscle weakness is usually better in the morning and worsens as the day goes on.
The muscles of the eye often are affected first and patients may develop droopy eyelids and double vision. Generalized myasthenia gravis develops in about 50 to 60 per of those who develop eye symptoms, with patients gradually experiencing difficulty speaking , problems chewing and swallowing , and trouble performing everyday tasks, such as combing hair or climbing stairs, caused by weakness in the arm and leg muscles.
Patients may appear to be expressionless because the condition may cause facial muscle weakness. Nearly all patients who eventually develop generalized myasthenia gravis do so within two three years of first displaying symptoms.
Sudden, severe weakening of the muscles involved in breathing results in a , a serious, life-threatening condition that is commonly provoked by an infection, undergoing surgery, or pregnancy. Patients with myasthenic crisis often require emergency care.
Additionally, thymomas (tumors of the thymus, an immune gland located in the center of your chest) often develop in those with myasthenia gravis.