Myasthenia Gravis

Click on a topic from the list below to find out more about Myasthenia Gravis:

What is it? Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular autoimmune disease that affects the use of muscles – normal communication between the nerve and the muscle is interrupted, leaving the muscle weak and fatigued. To find out more click here.
 

Causes. In MG, the receptors at the muscle surface are destroyed or deformed by antibodies that prevent a normal muscular reaction from occurring. To find out more click here.
 
 

Symptoms. At one time the myasthenic may function normally, and at another time experience severe loss of strength. Others may think that the myastenic is lazy, or that they are suffering from a psychological problem. To find out more click here.
 

Diagnosis. The symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) are common complaints across a variety of medical conditions. This makes it difficult to diagnose MG, particularly in cases where the condition is mild, or where the physician is not familiar enough with the condition to suspect the condition. To find out more click here.
 

Treatments. Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is no longer considered a fatal disease. Most myasthenics, with the help of either drugs and/or surgery, lead near-normal lives. However, there is no standard therapy for all myasthenics. To find out more click here.
 

History. Thomas Willis (1621-1675) – an English physician, published the book “De anima brutorum” in 1672 in which he wrote about a woman who temporarily lost her power of speech and became “mute as a fish”. This has been interpreted as being the first written description of myasthenia gravis. To find out more click here.