Myasthenia gravis (=Erba-Goldflam disease) is an autoimmune disease. It is characterised by excessive muscle fatigue due to abnormalities in neuromuscular conduction . The cause is a deficiency of acetylcholine receptors in neuromuscular plaques, most likely due to autoimmune processes.
Symptoms and course myasthenia gravis
The onset of the disease most often occurs between 20 and 30 years of age, with a second peak in incidence between 45 and 60 years of age. Women are more commonly affected (4 : 1). The disease usually begins with eye muscle fatigue (drooping eyelids, double vision), which is exacerbated in the evening by prolonged exertion of the eyes. In other cases, the first symptoms may involve the pharynx and larynx with transient dysarthria (speech disorders) and dysphagia (swallowing disorders). Sometimes the disease is limited to these muscular areas, but usually the muscles of the limbs and trunk are also involved. The progression of the disease is usually slow, but sometimes the symptoms can be acute and increase rapidly.
Particularly life-threatening is the myasthenic crisis, in which myasthenic respiratory muscle failure and therefore rapidly increasing dyspnoea usually occur rapidly. These breakthroughs usually occur in the first years of the disease in 10% of patients.
When to go to the doctor and treat myasthenia gravis
A specialist should be contacted if any of the above-mentioned symptoms are observed in order to clarify their cause and possibly implement appropriate treatment.
Treatment myasthenia gravis
There is no home treatment
