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What Causes Myasthenia Gravis?
Dr Grief thanks in advance for your time.What exactly is myasthenia gravis. When I look it up I get a lot of different diseases. Is this the blanket name for any kind of autoimmune problems? I have gone to a neurologist, and he has done a blood test but won t get the results for two weeks and I really wanted to know what I can expect. The joints in my ankles, right knee, left wrist are hurting and my right eyes wants to close sporadically. When I was a young adult I had seizures. I have to take a blood thinner because I have a blood disorder that makes my blood too thick, I have had (5) heart attacks. My mother died from this disorder, in the end they said it was a type of bone cancer(acute leukemia).
posted on
Mon, 9 Jun 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 4 Jan 2017
Answered on
Thu, 5 Jan 2017
Last reviewed on
Hi,
Myasthenia gravis is a long term neuromuscular disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. It is an autoimmune disease which results from antibodies that block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the junction between the nerve and muscle.
This prevents nerve impulses from triggering muscle contractions. Rarely an inherited genetic defect in the neuromuscular junction results in a similar condition known as congenital myasthenia. Babies of mothers with myasthenia may have symptoms during their first few months of life, known as neonatal myasthenia.
Diagnosis can be supported by blood tests for specific antibodies, the edrophonium test, or nerve conduction studies. Early diagnosis and treatment is the best way to protect your self from it. Don't worry nowadays investigations are more precise and accurate than before so ask your physician for some tumor investigations.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ahmed Aly Hassan
Myasthenia gravis is a long term neuromuscular disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. It is an autoimmune disease which results from antibodies that block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the junction between the nerve and muscle.
This prevents nerve impulses from triggering muscle contractions. Rarely an inherited genetic defect in the neuromuscular junction results in a similar condition known as congenital myasthenia. Babies of mothers with myasthenia may have symptoms during their first few months of life, known as neonatal myasthenia.
Diagnosis can be supported by blood tests for specific antibodies, the edrophonium test, or nerve conduction studies. Early diagnosis and treatment is the best way to protect your self from it. Don't worry nowadays investigations are more precise and accurate than before so ask your physician for some tumor investigations.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ahmed Aly Hassan
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