What is Myasthenia Gravis? What are the Symptoms and Treatment Methods?

Our muscles, which enable our skeleton to stand, are very important for our health. Sometimes problems can arise in the skeletal muscle system, which is so important. One of them is myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia Gravis Details

The weakening of the skeletal muscle system in the body due to some reasons is called myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia gravis is a nerve or muscle disease in which the immune system cannot function properly. A normal person can activate their muscles with the impulses from the nerve endings. However, this system does not work in a person with myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia is not a disease that can be transmitted from person to person or from a pregnant mother to her baby. It is a congenital disease.

Normally, antibodies in a person's body fight foreign substances in the body. And this fighting happens thanks to the sensors. But in myasthenia gravis, it's the opposite. Myasthenia gravis antibodies that fight against foreign substances in our body damage the sensors. Damage to the sensors causes the person's muscle strength to weaken.

As a patient with myasthenia gravis moves, the disease worsens. When the person begins to rest, the symptoms decrease. Due to this disease, some organs and some functioning functions in our body are damaged. Damaged organs on the face of myasthenia gravis are as follows;

• Eye
• Eyelid
• Creating facial expressions
• Difficulty speaking and impaired speech functioning
• Difficulty swallowing and impaired swallowing function
• Difficulty chewing and damage to chewing function
• Neck and leg movements
• Weakening of the muscles that allow us to breathe

Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis Disease

Symptoms seen in myasthenia gravis can occur suddenly during the day. As the person rests, the symptoms may also decrease.

In myasthenia gravis, every muscle in the body may not be affected in the same place. Some muscles are more affected. In addition, the condition of the damaged muscles or organs may vary from person to person. All the symptoms of myasthenia gravis are as follows;

1. Starting to weaken the eye muscles, decrease in vision

2. Difficulty swallowing

3. Disturbances in speech

4. The drooping of one or both eyelids, called ptosis

5. Blurred vision or double vision, called diplopia

6. Difficulty walking, falling occasionally while walking

7. Distortions in facial expression and inability to create mimics

8. Difficulty in breathing and pain in the chest muscles when breathing

9. Decreased strength in arm muscles

10. Decreased strength in the neck muscle

11. Leg muscle weakness

What is the Treatment Method of Myasthenia Gravis Disease?

Treatment in myasthenia gravis is based on the condition of the disease and the damaged muscles. In addition, the treatment takes shape according to the age of the patient and whether he has any other disease. The drugs used for the treatment of myasthenia disease are as follows;

1. Anticholinesterase drugs,

2. Immunosuppressive drugs,

3. Plasmapheresis,

4. Thymectomy, these drugs are used according to the condition of the disease and the damaged muscle groups.