Myasthenia Gravis: Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis.

Myasthenia gravis is a rare long-term condition that causes muscle weakness. It most commonly affects the muscles that control the eyes and eyelids, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing and speaking. But it can affect most parts of the body. It can affect people of any age, typically starting in women under 40 and men over 60. Myasthenia gravis causes muscle weakness that typically has times when it improves and other times when it gets worse. It often affects the eyes and face first, but usually spreads to other parts of the body over time. The severity of the weakness varies from person to person. It tends to be worse when you’re tired and gets better after resting. In some people, the symptoms can also have a number of other triggers, such as stress, infections and certain medicines. Because other conditions sometimes occur along with myasthenia gravis and can interfere with treatment, your health care provider may order other tests. You may need a CT scan or an MRI to check for a thymoma. You