Myasthenia gravis (MG) is rare: the neuromuscular disease only occurs in one or two people out of every 10,000. Healthcare professionals often lack awareness of the condition. This lack of awareness, combined with MG’s variable symptoms, create a combination that can easily lead to delays in diagnosis.
What is myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic neuromuscular autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system develops antibodies that attack the communication between the nerves and the voluntary muscles. This weakens the muscles of the eyes, face, throat, neck, arms and legs. Resulting symptoms include droopy eyelids; blurred or double vision; difficulties breathing, chewing and swallowing; slurred speech; shortness of breath; flat facial expressions; and trouble walking, using the hands and lifting the arms.
There is no cure for MG, but medication and lifestyle changes can effectively manage symptoms, avoid symptom triggers and support quality of life. Life expectancy is not usually impacted, but myasthenic crises can have potentially life-threatening outcomes.
Why MG can be difficult to diagnose
Early symptoms of MG may occur suddenly, and are often inconsistent not only from patient to patient, but from day to day. MG symptoms often worsen as the day progresses and the muscles become tired, but improve again after rest. This means that a patient with a drooping eyelid on a Friday afternoon may not have the symptom anymore by the time they’re seen by a doctor Monday morning. MG may also mimic other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or other neurological conditions.
All this makes it easy for healthcare professionals to mistakenly attribute symptoms to stress, fatigue or a different disorder. In the year after symptoms first appear, up to 46% of people living with MG won’t receive the correct diagnosis.
However, as symptoms progress and worsen over time, they become more obvious. As the communication between the body’s nerves and muscles deteriorates, MG causes progressive muscle weakness in the legs and arms, eyes, face, neck and throat.
Common early signs of MG
Eye-related symptoms are the first to appear in more than half of MG cases. These include:
- Drooping of one or both eyelids.
- Blurred or double vision.
In approximately 15% of people with MG, the face and throat muscles are the first to be affected. As these muscles weaken, symptoms may include:
- Difficulty swallowing food and liquids, causing choking.
- Reduced capacity to chew food.
- Trouble speaking, affecting speech and enunciation.
- Flat or reduced facial expressions.
General muscle weakness in the arms, legs and neck can also be early indicators of the onset of MG. This can affect:
- Neck strength, making it difficult to hold the head up.
- Arms, hands and legs, affecting walking or using arms and hands to lift objects.
Learn more about MG signs and symptoms
The importance of getting diagnosed
There is currently no cure for MG, but medication and medical treatment can help slow disease progression and manage symptoms. Lifestyle modifications like eating healthily, staying physically active, avoiding triggers and resting regularly will help you live better with MG.
However, without a prompt and correct diagnosis, muscle weakness will progress and worsen, potentially significantly impacting your quality of life. It is therefore essential to recognize the early symptoms of MG and be proactive in getting checked by your healthcare provider.
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