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Muscles affected -

Myasthenia gravis affects the voluntary muscles. These are found in the face, throat, and diaphragm, as well as the muscles that connect to a person's bones.

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Common symptoms -

Common symptoms include droopy eyelids, double vision, difficulty making facial expressions, problems with chewing or swallowing, slurred speech, and weak arms, legs, or neck.

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Shortness of breath -

People with myasthenia gravis may also struggle with shortness of breath. In some cases, this can be serious enough that the person requires a ventilator to breathe. This is referred to as a myasthenic crisis.

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Misdiagnosis -

Since many of the symptoms associated with myasthenia gravis can also occur as the result of other conditions, they are often not immediately recognized.

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Symptoms that come and go -

Moreover, since symptoms can improve with rest, they can come and go. In general, however, they tend to get progressively worse over time.

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Cause - Myasthenia gravis is caused by a problem with the signals that the body sends between the nerves and the muscles.

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Autoimmune condition -

It is an autoimmune condition, which means that it occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells.

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Weak and tired muscles - In the case of myasthenia gravis, the immune system attacks the cells that support the communication system between the nerves and the muscles. The result is that muscles become weak and easily tired.

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Unknowns -

Experts are not exactly sure what causes this particular autoimmune disease to occur. However, they believe that it has something to do with the thymus gland.

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The thymus gland -

The thymus gland is a gland that sits in the chest and is part of the immune system. In many people with myasthenia gravis, the thymus gland is enlarged.

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Diagnosis -

Doctors use a combination of tests to diagnose myasthenia gravis. First up is the neurological examination, which looks at muscle strength and tone, coordination, sense of touch, and eye movements.

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Electrodiagnostic tests -

There are also electrodiagnostic tests, such as repetitive nerve stimulation and single fiber electromyography (SFEMG).

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SFEMG -

Single fiber electromyography is considered the most sensitive test for myasthenia gravis. It can detect even mild cases that other tests might miss.

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Blood test -

Finally, there are blood tests, used to check if the patient has abnormally elevated levels of acetylcholine receptor antibodies, or anti-MuSK antibodies.

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Seronegative myasthenia -

In some individuals with myasthenia gravis, neither of these antibodies is present. In this case, doctors refer to seronegative (negative antibody) myasthenia.

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No cure -

There is no cure for myasthenia gravis, so treatment focuses on getting the symptoms under control and improving the patient's quality of life.

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Treatment - Firstly, people with myasthenia gravis are advised to avoid anything that triggers their symptoms. Indeed, some individuals find that stress and tiredness makes their symptoms worse.

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Medications -

There are also medications that can help. On the one hand, there are anticholinesterase medications, which serve to improve neuromuscular transmission and increase muscle strength.

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Immunosuppressive drugs -

Then there are immunosuppressive drugs, which can help increase muscle strength by suppressing the production of normal antibodies.

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Side effects -

Immunosuppressive drugs can have significant side effects, so their use must be carefully monitored by a doctor.

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Surgery - Some people with myasthenia gravis also undergo surgery to remove the thymus gland. This has been shown to reduce symptoms, perhaps by rebalancing the immune system.

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Outlook -

Myasthenia gravis is a long-term condition that has no cure. As mentioned, it tends to have phases where the symptoms get better, and then phases where they get worse again.

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Flare-ups -

Some people experience what might be described as flare-ups. These are periods where their symptoms are very troublesome, followed by a period of remission.

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Permanent remission -

In some cases, that period of remission can be permanent. However, cases of permanent remission are very rare when it comes to myasthenia gravis.

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Serious complications - If symptoms become very serious, myasthenia gravis can in some cases be life-threatening. However, for most people, it doesn't affect life expectancy.

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Famous cases -

Over the years there have been several cases of celebrities diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. Perhaps the most famous case is that of soap star Suzanne Rogers.

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Suzanne Rogers -

The 'Days of Our Lives' actress was diagnosed with this condition at age 39, and it heavily affected her facial muscles. Eventually her disease was written into the show.

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Aristotle Onassis -

Another famous case is that of Aristotle Onassis, Jackie Kennedy's second husband. Not a lot is known about his experience with the disease, however.

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Aristotle Onassis - There are reports that Onassis suffered from myasthenia gravis and influenza at the same time. That is considered a very dangerous combination.

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Christopher Robin Milne -

Sources also suggest that Christopher Robin Milne, the inspiration for A. A. Milne's 'Winnie the Pooh,' suffered with myasthenia gravis in his later years.

Sources: (NHS) (NINDS) (FindMeCure)

See also: Why autoimmune diseases are on the rise

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