The initial signs of myasthenia gravis usually include muscle weakness that worsens with activity and improves with rest. Common symptoms are drooping eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing or speaking and general fatigue. Some people may also notice weakness in the arms or legs.
A diagnosis of myasthenia gravis is often prompted by symptoms of intermittent fatigue in the arms, legs, eyes or breathing muscles. Doctors will usually perform a range of tests, including blood tests to detect antibodies, electromyography (EMG) to assess muscle response and imaging scans to check the thymus gland for abnormalities.
Although myasthenia gravis cannot be cured, it can be managed. Treatment focuses on controlling symptoms and improving muscle strength, often with medications like acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, immunosuppressants or surgery to remove the thymus. With proper care, many people with MG can lead relatively normal lives.
Download the Myasthenia Gravis brochure.
Myasthenia gravis - symptoms, causes, treatment: Nord. National Organization for Rare Disorders. (2024, October 1). https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/myasthenia-gravis/
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) - diseases. Muscular Dystrophy Association. (2024, June 3). https://www.mda.org/disease/myasthenia-gravis
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Myasthenia Gravis. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/myasthenia-gravis
Suresh, A. B. (2023, August 8). Myasthenia Gravis. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559331/
Home. Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. (2024, October 1). https://myasthenia.org/
De Baets, M. h., & Kuks, J. b. (2019). Immunopathology of myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia Gravis, 147–202. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429276750-5
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