The most interesting medical condition that i've learnt is a disease called myasthenia gravis, which i happen to be suffering from.
Myasthenia gravis is characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under your voluntary control. myasthenia Gravis is caused by a breakdown in the normal communication between nerves and muscles. Muscle weakness which is caused by myasthenia gravis worsens as the affected muscle is used repeatedly.
Although myasthenia gravis can affect any muscles that control voluntarily, certain muscle groups are more commonly affected than others.
Eye muscles
People who develop myasthenis gravis ,their first signs and symptoms involve eye problems, such as:
Drooping of one eye or both eyelids (ptosis).
Double vision (diplopia), which
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Difficulty swallowing- you may choke very easily, which makes it difficult to eat, drink or take pills. In some cases liquids you're trying to swallow may come out of your nose.
Problems chewing- The muscles used for chewing may wear out half way through your meal, particularly if you're been eating something hard to chew , such as steak.
Limited facial expression- Your family members may comment and think that you've "lost you smile" if the muscles that control your facial expressions have been affected.
Neck and limb muscles- Myasthenia gravis can cause weakness in your neck, arms and legs, but this usually happens along with muscle weakness in other parts of your body,such as your eyes,face and throat.
The disorder usually affects arms more often that legs. However ,if it affects your legs, you may waddle when you walk. If your neck is weak, it maybe hard to hold up your head.
The causes of myasthenis gravis :
Antibodies- your nerves communicate with your muscles by releasing chemicals (neurotransmitters) that fit precisely into receptor sites on the muscle cells at the nerve-muscular
The most common features of Neuromyotonia is muscle stiffness, muscles contracting, twitching muscles (myokymia), and weakened reflexes. These symptoms can be designated to a particular area, usually the face and hands or throughout the body. Stiffness is mostly featured in the limbs and trunk muscles. Observable symptoms include abnormal movements, pains and cramps. Behavioral changes include disruptive sleep, excessive sweating, although these types of symptoms are uncommon. Symptoms can occur during sleep and when under anesthesia. Muscle fiber excessive activity can lead to muscle weakness or increase size of muscle cells known as hypertrophy (David, Firth, Cox 515). Being diagnose with Neuromyonia ranges from a wide age range fifthteen to sixty, most people experience signs before their forties (Maddison 2119).
Periodic Paralysis Syndrome is a blanket term for a couple of inherited muscular disorders. The most common types are hypokalemic periodic paralysis and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. Both of these are inherited and generally present from childhood, tho it is possible for symptoms to start showing later in adolescence. In hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, high levels of potassium in the blood interact with genetically caused abnormalities in sodium channels (pores that allow the passage of sodium molecules) in muscle cells, resulting in temporary muscle weakness and, when severe, in temporary paralysis. This disease may be caused by genetic defects in either the calcium channel or the sodium channel. Hypokalemic disease may be caused by genetic defects in either the calcium channel or the sodium channel (Medline Plus).
It happens when your nerve endings fail to interact properly with your muscles. MG usually affects the muscles of the eyes, face, neck, arms, and legs. MG is most common in young women 20 to 30 years of age, and in men 60 to 70 years of age.(Myasthenia) What makes this relevant is that Myasthenia Gravis can be developed in the human body if you are exposed to neurotoxins like Sarin. On base by the Syrian border, sirens were triggered daily and the officials at the base said that they were false alarms even though they knew that they were not. “A woman named Tracy Elledge, a former combat engineer and one of the veterans I interviewed, said, “Alarms went off all the time.… Our officers told us they were false and to disconnect
Recent studies show that this syndrome may be associated with changing craniofacial and skeletal muscle metabolism, such as blood flow, which causes the chronic fatigue and severe weakness. Another hypothesis is that an infectious trauma to the body, such as a virus, triggers the illness. However, with this syndrome being new, no specific virus has been identified. There is though a plot study that shows that there is possible inherited tendency toward the disease. This disease/syndrome has increased
Speech may be slurred and facial expressions may be limited, making it hard to smile. It may be difficult to hold head up due to weak neck muscles. Weak limb muscles cause difficulty walking, climbing stairs, lifting objects, or holding arms up. Raising the body from a seated position may cause difficulty. Chest muscles may also be affected, causing difficulty with breathing. This particular symptom may cause serious problems, called a myasthenic crisis
They may develop alone or in combination, but as the disease progresses, all are usually present. There is no true paralysis. The symptoms are always bilateral but usually involve one side early in the illness. Because the onset is insidious, the beginning of symptoms is difficult to document. Early in the disease, reflex status, sensory status, and mental status usually are normal. Postural abnormalities (flexed, forward leaning), difficulty walking, and weakness develop. Speech may be slurred. Autonomic-neuroendocrine symptoms include inappropriate diaphoresis, orthostatic hypotension, drooling, gastric retention, constipation, and urinary retention. Depression is also prevalent.
Guillain-Barre first symptoms can include weakness or tingling in the arms and legs. This disease process is ascending so the weakness will start in the toes or fingertips and progresses upward. The paralysis generally is similar on both sides of the body. This can occur within a couple of days to increasing through a few weeks. Patients can also have a decreased reflex in knees and weakness in respiratory muscles and swallowing. Some other symptoms can include pain such as aching in the shoulders, back, buttocks, and thighs. Respiratory complaints in these patients can include; dyspnea while active, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and slurred speech.
Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a disorder that affects multiple systems in the body. The disease is broken down into two categories, myotonic dystrophy I & II. Myotonic dystrophy can be responsible for deterioration of smooth and skeletal muscle, central nervous system, endocrine, cardiac, and ocular systems. Myotonic dystrophy can contrast from mild to severe, and has “been categorized into three somewhat overlapping phenotypes: mild, classic, and congenital” (Bird et al., 1999). Myotonic dystrophy is a multisystem disease damaging to the muscles, heart, brain, eyes and other organs. Myotonia is defined by the stiffness and tightness of the muscles causing some muscles to stay in the contracted position much longer than
Summary… A condition which is characterized by an inability of the muscles to function at their full strength; a vague complaint of debility, fatigue, or exhaustion attributable to weakness of various muscles. The weakness can be characterized as subacute or chronic, often progressive, and is a manifestation of many muscle and neuromuscular diseases.
The cause of Stiff-Person Syndrome is still unknown it is believed that since there are
Myasthenia gravis is a disease that affects voluntary muscles of the body; it causes the weakening of the muscles. In this essay we will talk about how to treat myasthenia gravis, the symptoms and causes
Some people complain of a loss of balance, this is probably because the muscles become unable to compensate for an off-balance posture. Serious injury from tripping and falling down is a common risk with Inclusion Body Myositis. In addition severe muscle pain is another commonly noted symptom. The diagnosis for IBM, although difficult, simply because the symptoms may be caused by other illnesses, is based on clinical signs and subsequent testing. Many tests can help diagnose the disease , including a blood test that screens for creatine kinase or CK levels. The result of muscle cell damage is the blood enzyme CK. High CK levels would then show strange muscle damage. An electromyography, which is a technique for recording the electrical activity of muscles, can be used to recognize characteristic abnormalities. The best way to diagnose Inclusion Body Myositis , however, is a muscle biopsy, where a small sample of muscle is removed for laboratory analysis (IBM illnessopedia,n.d.,para 3) . Muscle resonance imaging scans may also reveal changes in the muscles. (Travers, P. ,2010, June 17)
In the world today, there are approximately about 10 in one million people who are affected by the disease called myositis. With it being a rare, myositis is a disease in which the skin and muscle fibers become damaged or inflamed which result in muscle weakness. There are many different types of myositis along with causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments.
also is worsened by exposure to cold. Eyes may be sensitives to light so the person with this pain
Ask the child to look at an object about five feet away. Examine the pupils for size, shape, and symmetry. Oculomotor nerve palsy causes mydriasis. Sympathetic palsy leads to miosis. Ciliary ganglion malfunction within the orbit produces Adie’s pupil with middilated pupils