June is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
What is myasthenia gravis? It is an autoimmune condition characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue, mostly in the body muscles we control voluntarily. Often this is seen in weakness of the eye, eyelid, arm or leg muscles. Symptoms include double vision, chronic muscle fatigue, and difficulty speaking, chewing or breathing.
While the diagnosis is often missed, the prevalence of myasthenia gravis is thought to be between 36 and 60 thousand cases in the United States. The cause is due to the body producing a substance that blocks or destroys communication between nerves and the muscles they control. It can occur regardless of age, gender or race. Myasthenia gravis is not contagious, nor is it directly inherited. However, it may occur in more than one family member.
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for myasthenia gravis, but there are individualized treatments that can help people lead full and productive lives. There are also cases where the disease goes into remission, but for most people it is a chronic condition.
There are great resources for those affected by myasthenia gravis and their families, including a local support group in Atlanta. For more information go to myasthenia.org.
Linda Walsh, RN
Parish Nurse, Catholic Church of St. Ann
lwalshrn@st-ann.org
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
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