Na Afrikaanse Myasthenia Gravis Blad
Myasthenia Gravis is a neuromuscular autoimmune disease. It manifests itself by varying weakness of muscles under voluntary control. Symptoms include drooping eyelids, double vision, slurred speech, difficulty chewing, swallowing, talking, walking or breathing. The disease and its symptoms result from a defect in transmission of the nerve impulse to the muscle at the nerve-muscle junction.
MG occurs through out the world in all races, both sexes, and at any age. It is most common in young adult women and older men. MG is not directly inherited nor is it contagious. It does occasionally occur in more than one member of the same family.
MG may affect any muscle that is under voluntary control. Involuntary heart muscle and smooth muscle of the gut, blood vessels and the uterus are not involved. Muscles which we use all the time, are more often but not always involved. These include the ones that control eye movements, eye lids, chewing, swallowing, coughing, facial expression and the muscles that control breathing. Muscles that may be affected include those of the neck and limbs. Although MG is said to be painless, pain in the shoulders, back of the neck and head may be present if the neck muscles which hold up the head are weak. Symmetrical limb weakness occurs in many other nerve and muscle diseases, but in MG, limb weakness is often not symmetrical, one side being weaker than the other. Shoulder weakness is demonstrated by trouble holding up an arm to comb or shampoo one's hair, or to shave or put on makeup. With limb weakness the grip may become weak opening jars, hips may be weak getting out of deep chairs or the bathtub, and legs may tire climbing stairs or when walking distances.
The seriousness of MG is particularly noticeable when muscles we use in breathing are affected. If breathing or coughing becomes insufficient, the patient is said to be in a "Crisis," and mechanical breathing assistance in a hospital may be necessary. A crisis can be caused by weakness from MG exacerbation, the said "myasthenic crisis" or a "cholinergic crisis" (weakness from too much anticholinesterase medication). Most crises have multiple causes and the treatment for any crisis is respiratory assistance. Patients with trouble swallowing and talking are the ones most likely to have trouble breathing also, and usually before a crisis happens there are enough progressive warning signs that swallowing, talking, and breathing are becoming compromised.
A distinctive feature of MG are the fluctuating weakness of muscles. The muscle weakness of MG increases with continued activity and improves after periods of rest. The muscles involved by MG vary greatly from one patient to the next. Also the degree of weakness of the affected muscles.
Different muscle groups are affected in different patients with MG. Some have only Ocular Myasthenia involving the eye muscles and eyelids; others have mainly swallowing difficulties or slurred speech; others have Generalized MG affecting many muscle groups. MG remains confined to the eye muscles in about 15% of patients who initially present with only ocular myasthenia. Within the first year after onset about half of the ocular MG patients will go on to experience involvement of other muscles, and another 30% do so during the next two years. The maximum extent of involvement in an individual patient usually manifests itself within the first 5 to 7 years, and thereafter it tends not to be progressive, even though muscle involvement and severity of weakness may still fluctuate from hour-to-hour and day-to-day. Although MG can be fatal if a respiratory crisis is not immediately treated, a normal life expectancy is the rule with proper treatment.
If you need help or assistance with MG please contact:
Myasthenia Gravis Support-South Africa
Wilna Eygelaar
P O Box 204, Upington 8800
South Africa
Tel no 27 54 332 4974
or email me at: Wilna
Eygelaar
Interesting Links:
NOAH (New York Online Access to Health)
Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America
Myasthenia Gravis
Links
This is without any doubt the
best web site on MG with links to other MG related sites.
Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of South Africa
MG Net - The Internet Chapter
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