According to the National Institutes of Health, Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare, chronic, autoimmune disorder that causes muscle weakness and fatigue. It’s characterized by a breakdown in communication between nerves and muscles, often resulting in symptoms like double vision, drooping eyelids, and difficulty speaking, swallowing, or breathing.

The Mayo Clinic explains that MG causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissues at the neuromuscular junction where nerves and muscles connect, causing them to contract. When the immune system produces these antibodies, they block or damage the nerve to muscle signals, leading to muscle weakness. The severity of this weakness fluctuates throughout the day, worsens with activity, and improves with rest.

Common symptoms of MG are double vision (diplopia), drooping eyelids (ptosis), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), impaired speech (dysarthria), and general muscle weakness. In some cases, the weakness primarily affects the eye muscles, causing double vision and drooping eyelids. More severe cases can involve weakness in other muscles, including those responsible for breathing and swallowing. A severe form of MG, where respiratory muscles are significantly weakened, potentially requires a ventilator.

MG can affect people of any age, but is more common in young women and older men. While not typically inherited, it can sometimes occur in multiple family members. Treatment can include medications like anticholinesterase inhibitors to improve nerve-to-muscle communication; immunosuppressants to reduce antibody production; and other therapies. Surgery to remove the thymus gland may be helpful in some cases.

Treatment for Myasthenia Gravis (MG) typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, with neurologists and specialists. Specific treatment options may include medication, surgical procedures like thymectomy, and physical therapy. Learn more about MG at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17252-myasthenia-gravis-mg.