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Description and Possible Medical Problems

Some people occasionally have trouble swallowing food or water. Usually it’s due to nervousness or anxiety, and it tends to clear up as soon as they calm down a bit. Others, however, may find that one minute they have difficulty swallowing and the next this problem either improves or worsens.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, you may have a rare condition known as myasthenia gravis. Though it is an uncommon disease, many people are aware of it because of its striking, often fickle characteristics. Besides trouble swallowing and chewing, other symptoms of myasthenia gravis include muscle weakness, most often in the face and neck and later in the rest of the body. Your entire body might also become progressively weaker as you chew.

Women are affected more often than men by this disorder, which is caused by an immune system imbalance that affects the nervous system. In effect, the body actually experiences a series of electrical short circuits, which cause it to be fine one minute but weak the next. The thymus, a gland in the chest that helps regulate the immune system, is responsible for the development of myasthenia gravis in approximately 20% of the people who have the condition. In the other 80%, the cause is unknown.

Treatment

Myasthenia gravis cannot be cured, but the disease can be regulated with rest, improved diet, and medication, such as Tensilon or the corticosteroid prednisone, which may help stimulate your immune system. If your doctor determines that your myasthenia gravis is due to a malfunctioning thymus gland, he may recommend an operation to surgically remove the gland; after the procedure, your health will remain stable. Keep in mind, however, that myasthenia gravis is a rare disease. In fact, I have seen only three cases of the disease in all my years of practice.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 9:54 am and is filed under General health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.