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Myasthenia Gravis
Is myasthenia gravis an autoimmune disease?
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects the neuromuscular junction. It is an acquired autoimmune disorder in which acetylcholine receptors at the postsynaptic membrane are present. These receptors bind with acetylcholine released from the presynaptic membrane, promoting the transmission of neuromuscular excitability, enabling muscle contraction and movement. When the acetylcholine receptors are damaged, symptoms of muscle weakness occur. The most common causes of this acquired autoimmune disease are thymoma, thymic hyperplasia, or incomplete thymic involution, leading to the production of antibodies by the body that damage the acetylcholine receptors on the postsynaptic membrane. This damage results in a significant reduction of receptors, insufficient production of endplate potentials, and a disruption in transmission function, triggering myasthenia gravis.
The difference between myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy
Myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy are two different diseases, with significant differences in diagnosis, treatment, and examination. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease, generally worsens with fatigue but can gradually improve with rest, and typically involves electrophysiological tests such as nerve conduction studies and repetitive stimulation tests. Muscular dystrophy is usually a nutritional or genetic disease, generally characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, often not closely related to activity. It requires further hospital examinations such as electromyography, and brain CT or MRI scans to rule out other diseases. The treatment methods for myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy are also significantly different.
Is myasthenia gravis prone to colds?
Patients with myasthenia gravis are prone to catching colds because myasthenia gravis is an immune system disease, and patients with this condition generally have lower immunity, making them more susceptible to a decrease in resistance and cold symptoms. If a person with myasthenia gravis catches a cold, it is important to keep warm, drink plenty of water, and monitor body temperature to avoid high fever. It is also important to give antiviral and antipyretic medications for treatment. Regularly eating fresh vegetables and fruits, and taking a significant amount of vitamins can help boost the immune system. Nutritional balance is important, as is ensuring adequate sleep, eliminating anxiety and depression, avoiding excessive emotional fluctuations, and consuming high-protein, high-nutrient, and high-vitamin foods.
Does myasthenia gravis require hospitalization?
Myasthenia gravis in its early stages requires hospital treatment. It is an autoimmune disease characterized by a post-synaptic membrane failure at the neuromuscular junction due to decreased acetylcholine. It generally manifests as skeletal muscle weakness, with symptoms often being lighter in the morning and more severe by evening, and includes easy fatigability. In such cases, even without a definitive diagnosis, hospitalization is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment, which may involve steroids or pyridostigmine. Treatment must be directed by a doctor. Once the condition stabilizes, the patient can be discharged and continue with oral medication. However, if a myasthenic crisis or other critical conditions occur, immediate hospitalization is necessary to maintain vital signs, as these situations can be life-threatening.
Myasthenia gravis should see which department?
Myasthenia gravis is a common disease in neurology, so when visiting the hospital, it is definitely necessary to see a neurologist. Neurologists have certain experience in diagnosing and treating this disease. This disease is classified as a neuromuscular junction disorder, mainly caused by the production of antibodies against acetylcholine receptors in the body. This leads to the nerve impulses not being effectively transmitted to the muscles, resulting in clinical manifestations. Patients' symptoms include improvement in the morning and worsening in the evening, fluctuating symptoms, and may present with drooping eyelids, double vision, general weakness, and some patients may also experience difficulty swallowing and speech disorders.
What should I do if myasthenia gravis causes difficulty swallowing?
Myasthenia gravis primarily manifests as an inability to swallow, affecting the pharyngeal muscles or the muscles involved in swallowing. Thus, difficulty in swallowing is also a symptom of myasthenia gravis. At this time, the main treatment should focus on the primary disease, administering medications such as neostigmine for myasthenia gravis, and using steroids or immunosuppressants in severe cases. If there is difficulty in swallowing, or if it persists for more than two or three days, a gastric tube can be inserted for nasal feeding to maintain nutrition. Then, as the symptoms of myasthenia gravis subside with medication, swallowing function can recover.
Can people with myasthenia gravis smoke?
Patients with myasthenia gravis are advised not to smoke. It is best to avoid smoking because myasthenia gravis is a disease caused by an autoimmune disorder, and smoking can further damage the body's immune function, leading to an exacerbation of the disease. Additionally, patients with myasthenia gravis may experience disturbances in respiratory function, leading to insufficient breathing and are highly susceptible to complications like lung infections. They are particularly at risk of respiratory infections, which can trigger a myasthenia gravis crisis, and in severe cases, can endanger the patient's life. It is well known that smoking has a very negative impact on the lungs and respiratory tract, easily damaging bronchial cells and inducing bronchial infections. Therefore, smoking-induced infections can cause acute exacerbation in patients with myasthenia gravis, and in severe cases, even threaten the patient's life safety.
How to treat myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis falls under the category of neurological diseases, characterized as an immune disorder of the nervous system, primarily due to the presence of antibodies against acetylcholine receptors. This leads to impaired transmission of nerve impulses to muscles, resulting in various clinical symptoms. The treatment approaches for myasthenia gravis include the following. Firstly, the use of cholinesterase inhibitors is recommended. These medications increase acetylcholine levels and are effective in improving symptoms. Secondly, patients are treated with corticosteroids, typically starting with a low dose and gradually increasing to maintain for a period before reducing the dose again. Adjustments to medication should always be made under the guidance of a neurologist. Third, if the patient has a thymoma, surgical removal is advised.
How to treat myasthenia gravis with pneumonia?
The treatment of pneumonia in patients with myasthenia gravis is the same as that for typical pneumonia, using corresponding antibiotics for bacterial, viral, or other microbial infections. However, if a patient with myasthenia gravis has a concomitant lung infection, aminoglycoside antibiotics, which can exacerbate conditions affecting neuromuscular junctions, i.e., worsen myasthenia gravis, should not be used. Sedative drugs are also contraindicated, as well as any drugs that might intensify muscle weakness.
If myasthenia gravis is well controlled, will it still recur?
Myasthenia gravis is difficult to control, and even when controlled, it is prone to relapse. The characteristic of myasthenia gravis includes alleviation after rest, and a pattern of alternating episodes and remissions. Since there is no etiological treatment for myasthenia gravis at present, most medications are symptomatic treatments. However, some patients can find relief through plasmapheresis or immunoglobulin therapy, but most patients will experience relapses. Therefore, myasthenia gravis is a disease prone to relapse, and its recurrence is not greatly influenced by how well it is controlled; it depends on the specific circumstances.