{{'HEADER_STRIP.About' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.Health Feed' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.Find Doctors' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.Health Packages' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.About' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.Health Feed' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.Find Doctors' | i18n}}
{{'HEADER_STRIP.Health Packages' | i18n}}
Myasthenia Gravis - Symptom, Treatment And Causes
Myasthenia Gravis- What is it?
The disease Myasthenia gravis results in muscles that tire and become weak easily. It may interfere with everyday activities as common as chewing food. If a patient has this disease his jaw muscles may tire soon and affect his food intake. After some rest, they may let the patient continue as usual. In fact, this tendency of tiring with little use then resumption of the normal state with a little bit of rest is the characteristic hallmark of this particular disease. During certain periods the symptoms are acuter, termed medically as an exacerbation, together with periods of remission when the symptoms disappear altogether. The most commonly affected muscles by this particular disease happen to be the ones that control the movement of the eyelids and eyes. Most patients witness weaknesses in other groups of muscles with the passage of a few years. When myasthenia gravis affects several groups of muscles throughout the body the condition is termed generalized myasthenia gravis. It may affect muscles that will make everyday tasks like swallowing, chewing, shrugging, smiling, lifting arms, standing up, gripping or walking up the stairs somewhat of a challenge. If the condition affects the breathing muscles it results in myasthenic crisis which is a condition that may pose a threat to one’s life. Though there is no exception regarding age or sex of people being affected by the disease it typically occurs in women who are aged between 20 to 40 and men between the ages 50 and 70. Mothers with myasthenia gravis may have babies affected with temporary weaknesses of the muscles which too may threaten the life of the newborn.
What are the causes of Myasthenia Gravis?
In the case of normal operations of nerves and muscles, nerves send directions to muscles to work by sending chemical messages through an area which is known as a receptor in biological terminology. The message is delivered through the chemical acetylcholine. The muscle knows it’s time to contract when acetylcholine binds itself to a nerve receptor. If a person is suffering from myasthenia gravis basically they have lesser amounts of acetylcholine receptors than what is needed by the body to function normally.
This disease is an autoimmune disorder. In cases of such diseases, the antibodies of the body mistakenly attack ones’ own body parts eventually destroying them. Antibodies are special proteins with the purpose of protecting the body from threats like viruses, bacteria or fungi. If one is affected by myasthenia gravis his or her antibodies attack, block or destroy the acetylcholine receptors that are essential for contraction of muscles. The disease is suspected to be connected with the thymus.
Popular Health Tips
Any kind of abnormal change in the voice of a person is termed as hoarseness. It is a harsh, strained or raspy voice coupled with a change in the pitch and volume. Hoarseness is often caused by a variety of conditions such as allergies, GERD, smoking and thyroid. It has been noted that that hoarseness is not a medical condition but a symptom of a disease. For you to get a clearer picture of the condition, here are some of the causes and possible treatment measures for the condition.
Causes of Hoarse Voice
The conditions which result in hoarse voice as one of their symptoms include:
- Laryngitis: This is one of the most common conditions that cause hoarseness. In this condition, the vocal cords become inflamed which is mostly due to a viral infection. This problem is worsened due to other problems like reflux of acid from stomach into the throat and environmental pollution. Strep throat and epiglottitis are specific types of Laryngitis caused by a particular virus or affliction of a particular site in the voice box.
- Vocal nodules: In this condition small nodules develop on the Vocal cords. Also known as Singer’s nodules, these are common in professional singers, teachers and other professionals who overuse their voice.
- Vocal Polyps: These are small masses that may develop on the vocal cords and prevent them from vibrating normally resulting in a hoarse voice. They may be a result of repeated episodes of laryngitis or acid reflux.
- Myasthenia Gravis: In this condition, the muscles become weak. This is basically a neuromuscular disorder and hoarseness in voice is one of its symptoms.
- Vocal cord paralysis: One of the two vocal cords may stop moving and lose its function. This can be due to a variety of conditions like thyroid gland swelling, tuberculosis or tumors.
- Throat Cancer: Hoarseness of voice is one of the earliest signs of cancer of the voice box. If caught early this type of cancer can be treated. Smokers beware!
Treatment of Hoarse Voice
Some of the treatment measures for hoarse voice are:
- Medication – General medication to reduce swelling of the vocal cords, medicines to reduce reflux of acid from stomach into the throat, medicines to reduce pain and strain in the voice box are generally recommend.
- Surgery – Certain conditions like Vocal polyps, nodules need to be removed surgically. Micro-laryngeal surgery is used for such type of lesions. Using a microscope with laser and without any external cuts or stitches these problems can be tacled easily.
- Phonosurgery – This is a highly specialized type of surgery using which a surgeon can make your voice more like you want it. The pitch of voice can be altered surgically, Meaning that your voice can be made more masculine, more feminine, deeper or more shrill according to your preference.
- Cancer treatment – Depending upon the stage of throat cancer the treatment varies and may include surgery or radiotherapy or both.
- Voice rest and Vocal hygiene – Along with the primary treatment depending upon the exact cause of hoarseness, measures like voice rest and speech exercises to improve voice may be advised by your doctor. The right cause and the right treatment for your hoarse voice can only be determined by a doctor.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
After a tough workout session or a strenuous day at the office, your muscles may feel floppy and exhausted until you have given them a chance to rest. However, persistent muscle weakness with no apparent cause or explanation can be a sign of an underlying medical problem.
What causes muscle weakness?
Voluntary muscle contractions and movement are generated when the brain sends a signal through your spinal cord and nerves to the particular muscle. If there are any hindrances in the connections between them, it can result in muscle weakness. However hard you try, the muscle is such cases becomes abnormal.
Here are some common causes of muscle weakness:
- Lack of Use: One of the most common causes of muscle weakness, lack of muscle fitness may occur as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. If the muscles are not used, then the fibers are partially replaced with fat.
- Ageing: As we age, our muscles tend to get weaker and lose strength. Muscles become bulky and recovery times during injury are greater. However, with physical activity, it is still possible to increase the muscle power. So stay active and instill strength in your muscles.
- Infections: Infections and inflammation can cause temporary muscle fatigue. Even though recovery is quick, if the infection is severe the weakness can last for some time. Without proper care, it can lead to permanent damage.
- Pregnancy: During and just after pregnancy, high levels of steroid in the blood and low levels of iron can cause muscle tiredness. Lower back pain is common during pregnancy and all your muscles may feel floppy.
- Chronic Diseases: With conditions of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and anemia, it can lead to muscle weakness by thwarting the essential blood or nutrient supply to the muscles. Also, chronic pain related ailments cause weakness.
- Injuries: Injury or trauma such as sporting injuries, pulls and sprains can deter the muscles. Along with localized pain, it can also lead to muscle weakness if not taken care of properly.
- Sleep Disorders: With disturbed or reduced sleep there is a general sense of tiredness that leads to fatigue in the muscles. Insomnia, anxiety, depression and other mental disorders also affect the muscles a great deal.
- Conditions affecting Nerves: Conditions like Myasthenia gravis or motor neuron disease affects the nerves and thereby fail to relay signals to the muscles, leading to weakness.
- Genetic disorder affecting muscles: There are also certain inherited diseases which can affect the muscles like muscular dystrophy.
- Spine-related disorders: Conditions like slip disc and other disorders affect the muscles served by the irritated or compressed nerves of the spinal cord. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
Homeopathy treatment for various diseases:
- Abortion, missed abortion
- Abscess
- Acne, pimples acromegaly
- Acute renal failure or acute kidney failure
- Addison’s disease
- Afterpains – pains after labour or delivery
- Alcohol withdrawal and alcohol addiction
- Alopecia areata
- Amenorrhea
- Anemia
- Angina
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anorexia nervosa
- Appendicitis
- Arteriosclerosis
- Arthritis / gout
- Asthma
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Back pain
- Boils on skin, back, armpit and face
- Bones diseases
- Breast pain and breast cancer bronchitis
- Candida
- Carbuncle
- Cerebral ischemia and cerebral congestion.
- Chickenpox
- Chilblains
- Cholera
- Chorea
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Chronic renal failure
- Colic, pain abdomen
- Common cold
- Constipation
- Corns / callus
- Cough
- Croup
- Dandruff
- Delirium, mental confusion
- Dentition / teething
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Dropsy / oedema
- Dysentery
- Dysmenorrhea/ painful menstruation,
- Ear diseases
- Eczema / allergic dermatitis
- Enlarged adenoids & tonsils
- Prostate enlargement (benign hypertrophy of prostate gland)
- Epilepsy
- Erysipelas, cellulitis
- Eyes diseases
- Female diseases
- Fever
- Anal fissure
- Adhd
- Gonorrhea
- Frozen shoulder
- Ganglion / ganglion cyst in wrist
- Gangrene
- Gastric complaints, dyspepsia, flatulence, indigestion, acidity
- Genital herpes
- Genital warts
- Glandular affections
- Glomerulonephritis
- Goitre (simple goitre and exophthalmic goitre.)
- Gout
- Haemorrhages / bleeding
- Hair loss
- Hay fever, allergic rhinitis
- Migraine headache
- Heart diseases, cardiac disorders
- Heat exhaustion and heat stroke
- Hemorrhoids
- Herpes simplex
- Herpes zoster / shingles
- Hirsutism
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydrocoele
- Hypertension / high blood pressure
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothermia
- Hypothyroidism
- Hysteria
- Impotence, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation
- Increasing breast milk
- Influenza / flu
- For injuries (including post-operative conditions.)
- nsanity
- Insomnia
- Malaria
- Intertrigo
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (still’s disease)
- Keloid
- Kidney, diseases, kidney stones / renal calculi
- Labor, delivery
- Laryngitis
- Leucorrhoea white vaginal discharge lichen planus
- Liver diseases
- Locomotor ataxia
- Low blood pressure
- Marasmus
- Measles
- Melasma, chloasma
- Meningitis
- Menorrhagia, excessive bleeding during menses
- Menstrual cramps
- Mental problems, psychological disorders
- Moles / naevus
- Molluscum contagiosum
- Mood disorders / affective disorders — depression, mania, bipolar disorder
- Morning sickness in pregnancy
- Mouth, oral diseases
- Multiple sclerosis
- Mumps
- Myasthenia gravis
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Neuralgia
- Nose bleed
- Obesity
- Obsessive compulsive disorder ocd
- Orchitis inflammation &; pain in testicle
- Ovarian cysts, ovary pain
- Pancreas, diseases of acute &; chronic pancreatitis
- Paralysis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peptic ulcers
- Perimenopause (pms) & menopause
- Homeopathy for peritonitis
- Piles (haemorrhoids, piles, emerods, grapes of wrath, or piles)
- Plantar fascitis – pain in feet, soles, heel
- Pleurisy, pleural effusion
- Pleurodynia
- Pneumonia
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Pott’s disease / tuberculosis of spine
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Problems during & after pregnancy
- Prolapsed intervertebral disc (slipped disc)
- Prostatitis &; benign prostate hypertrophy
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis
- Scabies
- Scarlet fever
- Schizophrenia sciatica sciatic nerve compression pain
- Scrofula (see also tuberculosis)
- Sea sickness,
- Motion sickness
- Sebaceous cysts
- Septicemia (see also abscess)
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars)
- Uriticaria, skin allergy, psoriasis, etc sleeplessness
- Smallpox
- Sore throat
- Spermatorrhoea, nocturnal emissions or wet dreams
- Spinal diseases (spinal meningitis, spinal cord injury, spinal stenosis, cervican spine spondylitis spondylosis)
- Spleen pain, infection, enlarged spleen sunstroke, heatstroke
- Surgical shock, postoperative shock
- Swine flu / swine influenza
- Synovitis inflammation of a synovial membrane
- Syphilis
- Toothache
- Tetanus
- Tonsillitis
- Tuberculosis
- Cancer treatment typhoid fever urinary tract infection (uti)
- Cystitis
- Urticaria
- Vertigo
- Vitiligo
- Vomiting
- Warts on hands, feet, face, neck
- Weakness and fatigue
- Whooping cough
- Worms, intestinal worms
Popular Questions & Answers
Table of Content
Myasthenia Gravis- What is it?
What are the causes of Myasthenia Gravis?