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Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia Gravis - Symptoms
Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis
The signs and symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis include:
- Weakness of the involuntary or skeletal muscles in the body
- No pain in the muscles, just weakness
- Weakness worsens when you are active and improves with periods of rest
- Weakness worsens towards the end of the day, during hot weather, if you are sick or have an infection or before a menstrual cycle in women
- Difficulty in breathing due to weakness of chest muscles
- Shortness of breath when lying down or when exercising
- Difficulties in swallowing or chewing
- Gagging, choking or drooling frequently
- Difficulty in moving - climbing stairs, lifting things or standing up from a seated position
- Problems talking normally
- Head that droops
- Difficulty in holding up the neck
- Weakness of the facial muscles or facial paralysis
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Hoarse throat
- Change in voice / impaired speech
- Double vision – can occur intermittently or only when looking in one particular direction
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty maintaining a steady gaze
- Drooping of eyelids (one or both)
- Unstable or waddling gait
- Weakness in hands, arms, fingers, legs
- Difficulty in raising the arms (to brush hair etc)
Symptoms of myasthenia gravis tend to occur suddenly and are often confused or misdiagnosed as symptoms of other illnesses.