Overview
Myasthenia gravis, which affects a receptor system that connects the nerves and muscles. The disease is characterized by frequent relapses, as well as a chronic progressive course. The illness occurs in both infants and older children and adults. The problem occurs more frequently in women (3 times) between the ages of 20 to 45 years. In later years the proportion of patients with such a diagnosis is approximately the same. Of the total amount of ill children audience is 1-3%. Symptoms of the disease are manifested rapid fatigue and problems with speech clarity at long conversation. Muscle weakness increases with repetitive movements. Treatment and prognosis of myasthenia depends on the stage forms and causes of the disease requires the emergency assistance. With timely and adequate treatment can eliminate the symptoms of the disease and improve the patient's quality of life. Unfortunately, recovery from myasthenia forecast disappointing, cure disease is not possible today.
Causes
The exact cause of myasthenia gravis in humans is not fully understood.
The main prerequisites for the development of the disease:
- genetic mutation;
- the development of the thymus gland tumors;
- severe stress;
- the defeat of the organism by viral infections;
- autoimmune disease;
- development of tumors of the liver, kidney, respiratory organs, etc.
Classification
Depending on the nature of the occurrence, infants are congenital and acquired. Depending on the age of the patient, the disease is an adult and child.
In children, it is divided into three main groups:
- congenital;
- Early children (ages 3 to 5 years);
- youth (ages 12 to 17 years).
Based on what muscles are damaged myasthenic syndrome, the disease is:
- local forms (muscle fatigue diagnosed in individual muscle groups);
- generalized form (marked fatigue in the cervical spine, torso, arms and legs, often accompanied by respiratory failure, it affects virtually all muscle groups).
The local form is divided into several types depending on the destruction of specific groups:
- skeletal muscle (fatigue is observed in a particular muscle group, such as the hands and feet);
- muscle eyes and eyelids (affects the organs of vision, the patient has a decreased vision, drooping of the upper eyelid, double vision, or feeling veil before the eyes, gradually developing myopia);
- the muscles of the pharynx and the person (the person has trouble swallowing food, as well as speech activity, speech becomes slurred, voice - nasal).
The symptoms of myasthenia gravis
- muscle weakness (depending on the form of the disease);
- fatigue with minimal physical activity;
- visual disturbances (trouble focusing, perception of color, shapes, blurred vision, inability to assess how close or far away the object is remote);
- respiratory failure;
- sudden weight loss;
- changes in gait;
- problems with speech;
- sleep disorders;
- violation process of swallowing and chewing;
- significant deterioration after minimal physical exertion;
- voice changes (it becomes quiet, people are increasingly utters the word "nose");
- ptosis century (ptosis);
- fatigue during speech activity;
- difficulty in mastication of solid food;
- trouble swallowing liquid and pyurirovannoy food (because it can develop aspiration pneumoniaIn which food enters the lungs);
- appearance "myasthenic crisis" (weakness of respiratory muscles), which is often the cause of death;
- psychomotor agitation;
- autonomic dysfunction;
- cerebral hypoxia (causing death).
Diagnostics
For a thorough diagnosis of the disease is necessary to:
- be examined by a neurologist with the collection of medical history;
- pass general and biochemical blood test;
- prozerinovuyu hold the sample to the study of the reaction of the organism to drug administration;
- do electromyography;
- perform electroneurogram;
- produce computed tomography (CT) scan of the anterior mediastinum;
- do genetic analysis (especially important for infants).
myasthenia gravis treatment
Effective treatment of myasthenia gravis can be assigned:
- receiving rate potassium preparations;
- hormone therapy;
- antioxidant supplements;
- the use of anticholinesterases;
- administering to a human immunoglobulin;
- Course admission cytostatics;
- irradiation of the hypothalamus;
- plasmapheresis;
- removal of the thymus (if the tumor is the primary cause of organ);
- mechanical ventilation;
- administration of neostigmine and ephedrine;
- dietetics;
- extracorporeal immunopharmacotherapy.
- Spa treatment.
Diet is not strict, but it involves:
- consumption of foods with high potassium content (potatoes, bananas, apricots, raisins, grapes, apricots);
- refusal of oily and heavy food;
- abstinence from alcohol.
Patients with this diagnosis should undergo regular check-ups by a neurologist, to comply with all the recommendations, to maintain the ability to work and provide a decent quality of life.
Strongly recommended:
- sunbathing (in the sun in the solarium), even with the disappearance of symptoms after successful treatment;
- use preparations Mg;
- to do hard physical work;
- professional sports;
- taking diuretics, sedatives, antipsychotics.
prevention
Unfortunately, preventive measures against myasthenia does not exist. But there are a number of recommendations, following which you can prevent the development of complications:
- the rejection of heavy physical work;
- reduction of physical activity in everyday life;
- abandonment of active sports;
- saturation of the diet of dairy products, fruits and vegetables;
- avoiding direct sunlight, wearing sunglasses;
- quitting smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- vitamins;
- categorical prohibition receiving magnesium drugs, neuroleptics, antibiotics, and diuretics.
The prognosis of myasthenia gravis
With this diagnosis often come remission and exacerbation. Unfortunately, completely cure the disease today is not possible. If not treated holistically, not to go to the neurologist, the disease can cause complete atrophy of the skeletal system with a fatal outcome. High risk of sudden cardiac arrest. It is particularly important to be observed at the neurologist pregnant women with this diagnosisWhile during pregnancy in different patients the symptoms may worsen, then subside. Currently, there are a number of proven techniques that allow you to maintain the quality of human life at a level to improve the overall health and well-being. With long-term and complex treatment can achieve the complete disappearance of disease symptoms. Treatment and control of therapy should be carried out only an experienced neurologist.
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