By Nurse Diane
Myasthenia Gravis is not a very common condition. In fact when I tried to find others who had
it, the list was short. One of the more
notable people who had it was Aristotle Onassis, Husband of Jackie O. Christopher Robin Milne also had it, you may
recognize his name from the Winnie the Pooh books, as Christopher Robin.
June is the month in
which we focus on Myasthenia Gravis.
Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder. Neuromuscular disorders
involve the muscles and the nerves that control them. Myasthenia Gravis affects the skeletal
muscles by causing weakness. The
weakness occurs because the nerve that stimulates the muscle isn't functioning
properly. This is called an autoimmune
response. The cause of Myasthenia Gravis
is unknown and can affect people at any time, occurring more frequently in
young women and older men. It usually
affects the eye muscles first.
Symptoms:
The muscle weakness of
myasthenia gravis worsens with activity and improves with rest. Weakness in
affected muscles may cause:
- Breathing difficulty because of weakness of the chest wall muscles
- Chewing or swallowing difficulty, causing frequent gagging, choking, or drooling
- Difficulty climbing stairs, lifting objects, or rising from a seated position
- Difficulty talking
- Drooping head
- Facial paralysis or weakness of the facial muscles
- Fatigue
- Hoarseness or changing voice
- Weakness of the eye muscles, causing
- Double vision
- Difficulty maintaining steady gaze
- Eyelid drooping
Diagnosis:
- A neurological exam will determine the muscle weakness, other tests include
- Blood tests
- CT for possible tumors in the Thalmus
- Nerve conduction studies
Outcome:
There is no cure for
Myasthenia Gravis, so
medications my help with nerve conduction to the muscles. A lifestyle adjustment usually enables
continuation of many activities. Activity should be planned to allow scheduled
rest periods. An eye patch may be recommended if double vision is bothersome.
Stress and excessive heat exposure should be avoided because they can worsen
symptoms.
For more information see:
http://www.myasthenia.org/
(Images from Google)
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