Diagnosis & Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis
If you begin to have difficulty breathing due to weakness of the respiratory muscles, you may need to be admitted to the hospital intensive care unit and placed temporarily on a respirator. Myasthenic crisis often occurs during a severe infection, so you'll probably need to be treated with antibiotics as well.
Situations that affect myasthenia gravis include:
Certain medications can exacerbate symptoms of myasthenia gravis, including:
Some women notice that their symptoms worsen around the time of their menstrual period. Pregnancy's effect on myasthenia gravis is unpredictable. About one-third of all women have an improvement in their symptoms, one-third have no change, and one-third get worse.
There are no known ways to prevent myasthenia gravis. If you already have the condition, take these steps to avoid an exacerbation:
How Is Myasthenia Gravis Diagnosed and Treated?
In this article
- How Is Myasthenia Gravis Diagnosed?
- What Are the Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis?
- How Can I Prevent Myasthenia Gravis?
What Are the Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis? continued...
If you begin to have difficulty breathing due to weakness of the respiratory muscles, you may need to be admitted to the hospital intensive care unit and placed temporarily on a respirator. Myasthenic crisis often occurs during a severe infection, so you'll probably need to be treated with antibiotics as well.
Situations that affect myasthenia gravis include:
- Changes in thyroid function
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Infection
Certain medications can exacerbate symptoms of myasthenia gravis, including:
- Antibiotics (particularly those called aminoglycosides)
- Narcotic drugs
- Penicillamine
- Magnesium
- Anesthesia
- Muscle relaxants
- Some drugs used to treat heart arrhythmias
Some women notice that their symptoms worsen around the time of their menstrual period. Pregnancy's effect on myasthenia gravis is unpredictable. About one-third of all women have an improvement in their symptoms, one-third have no change, and one-third get worse.
How Can I Prevent Myasthenia Gravis?
There are no known ways to prevent myasthenia gravis. If you already have the condition, take these steps to avoid an exacerbation:
- Try to prevent infections with careful hygiene and by avoiding sick people.
- Treat infections promptly.
- Do not become overheated or too cold.
- Avoid overexertion.
- Learn effective methods of dealing with stress.
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