DEAR DR. GOTT:
My eyelid droopiness and unexplained body weakness led to a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. Please provide further information on the condition and its treatment.
DEAR READER:
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness that can increase during periods of activity and decrease following rest.
Initial symptoms can be an eyelid that droops, blurred or double vision, slurred speech, weakness of the extremities, shortness of breath, or unsteady gait.
It is caused by a defect in the transmission of nerve impulses to voluntary muscles. Impulses travel down a nerve in a healthy individual. Nerve endings release a neurotransmitter substance known as acetylcholine. This substance then travels through the neuromuscular junction and binds to acetylcholine receptors that are activated and produce a muscle contraction. With myasthenia gravis, antibodies block these receptors and prevents muscle contractions from occurring.
A complete history, physical examination and evaluation by a neurologist should be conducted. If myasthenia gravis is suspected, several tests (to include blood work, nerve conduction studies, single fiber electromyography, and more) can be conducted. Therapy may help improve muscle weakness. Medication, removal of an abnormal thymus gland and plasmapheresis (removal of the plasma portion of the blood which is then replaced with saline or donor plasma) can be coordinated.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Medical Specialists”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
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