What is myasthenia gravis?

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. People with myasthenia gravis develop severe, sometimes life-threatening, weakness. People benefit from the care of physicians who have extensive experience treating myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the acetylcholine receptors that bridge nerve endings and muscle tissues. This in turn reduces the ability of the neurotransmitter compound acetylcholine to stimulate the muscles. Patients with myasthenia gravis experience increasing muscle weakness during activity, which is relieved during rest. The condition has a pronounced effect on muscles involved in eye movement, talking, chewing, and swallowing. Other muscle groups are also affected, including those involving breathing, which means that patients may be vulnerable to respiratory paralysis.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that occurs when the immune system malfunctions, causing the voluntary (skeletal) muscles to become weak. In Latin, myasthenia gravis literally means "grave muscle weakness."

Myasthenia gravis is classified as an autoimmune disorder because the body's immune system, which normally fights against disease and infection, mistakenly attacks the receptors in the body that allow the nerves and muscles to communicate with one another. The cause for this abnormal response is unknown.

Any voluntary muscle may be affected, but the eye muscles, face muscles, and muscles that control breathing and limb movement are most likely to be affected. Most people experience periods of generalized weakness from time to time. Symptoms generally worsen with physical activity and improve with rest.

Although myasthenia gravis can develop at any age, it is most common in women younger than 40 or older than 70 and in men older than 50 years of age. Symptoms may develop suddenly or gradually over time.

It is estimated that myasthenia gravis affects 0.5-14.2 out of 100,000 people in the United States.

In the past, untreated myasthenia gravis led to death in 30-70% of cases. Today, however, patients have normal or near-normal life expectancies. Although there is still no cure for myasthenia gravis, treatment is available to help manage symptoms. The most common causes of death among patients with myasthenia gravis are respiratory failure (when the muscles that control breathing are too weak to function properly), aspiration (the inhalation of food or drink into the lungs) due to an absent or weakened gag reflex, pneumonia, and falls. Also, some of the medications, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, may cause serious side effects, including an increased risk of infections. This is because these medications help alleviate symptoms by reducing the body's immune response.

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Myasthenia gravis is a rare, chronic disorder that causes weakness and rapid fatigue of muscles. The muscle weakness develops slowly, first affecting the facial muscles and causing symptoms that include drooping eyelids, double vision, and difficulty talking, chewing, swallowing, or breathing.

The exact cause of myasthenia gravis is not known. But it is known that the antibodies formed by the body's immune system to fight infection instead attack normal muscle tissue. Myasthenia gravis can occur at any age in both women and men. But it is most common in young women who have problems with the thymus gland.

Treatment for myasthenia gravis includes medicine to help reduce and improve muscle weakness. Surgery to remove the thymus gland may be helpful in some cases.