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The Effect Of Myasthenia Gravis On The Body 's Immune System

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Definition:

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular system part of the body. Chronic means persisting for a long time or constantly recurring. Autoimmune disorder is the confusion of the body’s immune system. The immune system form antibodies that mistakenly identify healthy tissue as foreign and then, the antibodies will attack and/or destroy healthy body tissue. Neuromuscular is the nervous system relationship with the muscles bring about body movement.

Myasthenia Gravis affects the neuromuscular junction. Neuromuscular junction is the connection or meeting place of the nerve and a muscle fiber. The nerves communicate with the muscle fiber by telling it to move or contract. The nerves …show more content…

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

Diagnosis:

MG may be difficult to diagnose and may not be determined for a couple of years. Reasons are as follows: the onset is gradual with the symptoms worsening over time, weakness and fatigue can also be signs and symptoms of other diseases, one or more of the voluntary muscle groups may experience weakness and with different degrees of severity, and also every patient may experiences the disease differently. After the medical history and physical examination, the physician may see a need for further muscle and neurological tests. Blood tests can detect abnormal antibodies. Nerve conduction studies and repetitive stimulation tests the nerve’s communication with the muscle. When stimulated a number of times the test will indicate muscle weakness. Single-fiber (EMG) electromyography is a test that measures the communication between the nerve and a muscle by inserting a small needle into a single muscle and recording the electrical muscle activity. CT scan or MRI may be ordered to check for

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