Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that causes mobility problems

The body is supported by nerves and skeletal muscles to help you move freely. So, any problems or disorders with nerves and muscles will certainly have a negative impact on your ability to move. Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle weakness that most often affects people around middle age. Usually, this disease begins to appear in women before the age of 40 years and men after 60 years. For more details, see the following review.

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs when the immune system (immune system) attacks healthy cells and tissues in your own body instead of foreign substances that actually cause disease.

The immune system attacks your own body by creating the same antibodies it is supposed to use to attack bacteria, viruses, and other foreign bodies in the body.

Now in the case of myasthenia gravis, the antibodies block or destroy the acetylcholine receptors on the skeletal muscle junctions causing communication disorders between the nerves and muscles. As a result, your muscles receive fewer nerve signals, resulting in weakness.

What causes myasthenia gravis?

Until now scientists have not found the exact cause of myasthenia gravis. There is a theory that infection could be a risk factor. Proteins from certain viruses or bacteria can make acetylcholine in the body unable to work effectively.

In addition, genetic factors and changes in the thymus gland are suspected as other triggers. Most people with myasthenia gravis have benign tumors and enlargement of the thymus gland.

What are the signs and symptoms of myasthenia gravis?

The main symptom of myasthenia gravis is weakening of the skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscles are the muscles we can consciously control and move to do something. For example, the muscles of the face, eyes, throat, arms and legs.

Some of the symptoms that appear when muscles are weakened include:

Difficulty speaking.
Difficulty swallowing, resulting in frequent choking.
Chewing difficulty, because the muscles responsible for chewing begin to become weak.
Facial muscles weaken so that the face looks paralyzed.
Difficulty breathing due to weak chest wall muscles.
Fatigue.
The voice turned hoarse.
The eyelids droop.
Double vision or diplopia.

Myasthenia gravis is also characterized by rapid fatigue after muscle movement.

The signs and symptoms that arise in each person will usually be different and not always the same. If not treated immediately, the symptoms can become worse over time. Usually, the symptoms of myasthenia gravis will get worse with more activity you do.

If you are worried about the appearance of abnormal symptoms, immediately consult further with your doctor.

What is the correct way to diagnose myasthenia gravis?

At first, the doctor will ask about your medical history and then proceed with a complete physical examination. Starting from checking the body's reflexes, finding the location of muscle weakness, ensuring the accuracy of eye movements, to checking the motor function of the body.

If needed, several further tests will help your doctor to diagnose your health condition, for example:

Repetitive nerve stimulation test.
Blood test to check for antibodies.
Tensilon test.
CT Scan.

So, what is the right treatment for this condition?

Take drugs

Corticosteroid drugs such as prednisolone, and immunosuppressant drugs such as azathioprine, can be used to help suppress the body's excessive immune response. In addition, administration of cholinesterase inhibitors, such as pyridostigmine (Mestinon), is believed to facilitate communication between nerve cells and muscles.

Removal of the thymus gland

If myasthenia gravis is caused by a tumor in the thymus gland, surgery is needed to remove the thymus gland before the tumor develops into cancer cells. This procedure is called a thymectomy.

After the thymus gland is removed, usually muscle weakness that may have been severe will slowly heal.

Plasmapheresis and immunoglobulin therapy

For patients with severe symptoms, plasmapheresis and immunoglobulin therapy may be an option.

Plasmapheresis, also known as plasma exchange, aims to get rid of harmful antibodies in the blood. This is a short-term treatment, so it is usually used before the operation period or when the body's muscles are experiencing weakness due to myasthenia gravis disease.

Meanwhile, for immunoglobulin therapy, blood donors with normal antibodies are needed. The goal is to change the work of antibodies in the body. Actually this treatment is quite effective, but only applies for the short term.

Lifestyle changes

In addition to treatment from a doctor, making lifestyle changes can help relieve the symptoms of myasthenia gravis. For example by maximizing rest time to help minimize muscle weakness; avoid stress as it can worsen symptoms; Don't forget to always do regular check-ups to track the progress of the disease as well as find out about your health condition.

If you feel disturbed by double vision, talk to your doctor immediately for the best solution. The treatment as previously described does not necessarily cure myasthenia gravis. But at least, you will feel a change in symptoms that are getting better.

Are there any complications that can arise from myasthenia gravis?

One of the dangerous complications of myasthenia gravis is the emergence of a myasthenic crisis.

Myasthenic crisis occurs when the breathing muscles weaken, making it difficult for you to breathe normally. That is why, sufferers of complications of myasthenic crisis need emergency help with breathing devices.

Not only that, sufferers of myasthenia gravis are also susceptible to various other autoimmune diseases - such as lupus, rheumatism, and thyroid problems.