Myasthenia gravis or myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, most common in women. In general, this disease can occur between the age of 20 and 40, its symptoms may appear suddenly and gradually worsen.
This disease is caused by a change in the immune system that has antibodies that attack certain fundamental structures to control muscles. Severe myasthenia has no definitive cure, but tailor-made treatment with specific medications and physical therapy exercises can improve quality of life.
The most common symptoms of myasthenia gravis are
Weakness of the p-rpados and difficulty opening the eyes and blinking;
Eye muscle weakness, causing strabismus and double vision;
Excessive muscle fatigue after physical exercise
As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen and include:
The weakness of the muscles of the body that bent the head had adhered to the sides;
Difficulty climbing stairs, raising arms and scribbled;
Difficulty talking and swallowing food;
Weakness of arms and legs, the intensity of which varies for hours or days.
More severe episodes with exacerbated symptoms are called myasthenia seizures, which can compromise the respiratory muscles, which could prevent a woman from being treated quickly in the hospital.
Symptoms usually persist with repeated use of the affected muscle, but this can also occur when the person is exposed to heat, anxiety is under stress, when using anxiolytic medications or antibiotics.
Most of the time, your doctor knows that the person has myasthenia gravis, evaluates symptoms, performs a physical exam, and studies your medical history.
However, your doctor may order more tests to check for other problems and confirm severe myasthenia. Some of these tests include: electromyography, MRI, CT scans, and blood tests.
Myasthenia gravis is caused by a change in the immune system, which causes certain antibodies to attack the receptors present in the muscles, when this happens, the communication between the muscle and the nervous is interrupted because the nerve impulses cannot pass properly from neurons to muscle fibers. , so the muscles do not contract, causing the characteristic weakness of this disease.
There are several types of treatments that can improve a person’s quality of life depending on the symptoms they have, some of the most commonly used forms include:
Drugs are the most widely used form of treatment, in addition to practice, with excellent results. The most commonly used types of drugs are:
In addition to oral medications, your doctor may also indicate the use of intravenous medications, such as monoclonal antibodies, that reduce the number of cells in your body’s defenses, improving symptoms of myasthenia gravis.
Plasma therapy is a dialysis-like therapy that draws blood from the body and is glued by a machine that removes excess antibodies that attack muscle receptors, facilitating the passage of the electrical signal between neurons and lasers from muscle fibers.
It is also a well-functioning treatment, plus has strains from bleeding, muscle spasms and severe allergic reactions.
Surgery is a common treatment because it is used when a tumor is identified in an organ of the immune system, which could cause the production of antibodies that cause severe myasthenia.
Motor and respiratory physiotherapy is also indicated in the treatment of myasthenia gravis and aims to strengthen muscles, improve range of motion, breathing and prevent respiratory infections.