Myasthenia Gravis is a chronic illness in which weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under your voluntary control is experienced. The cause of myasthenia gravis is a disturbance in transfer of signal between nerves and muscles. Under normal situation in the neuromuscular system, the chemical acetylcholine transmits nerve impulses to muscles, at neuromuscular junctions, which is a receptor sites in muscles to receive nerve impulses and give signal to muscles to contract, such as when we raise a hand to hold something.

In myasthenia gravis, there's a disturbance in interaction between nerves and muscles. The cause of this is body’s immune system. The illness causes immune system to produce antibodies that disturbs some of the receptor sites for acetylcholine in affected muscles. As there are decreased receptors sites in affected muscle the muscle receives less amount of impulse which results in to inappropriate functioning and weakness.

It's observed that a gland called thymus ( a part of body’s immune system) which is located in the chest beneath the breastbone, may be involved in production of these antibodies. The gland is usually large during infancy, but becomes small in adults. In some patients with myasthenia gravis, the thymus is found to be larger than normal. There may be even tumor in thymus gland.

In myasthenia gravis only the function of involved muscle is affected. The weakness that is experienced in the affected muscle improves on rest.

The common manifestations of Myasthenia gravis:

• Double vision

• Drooping eyelids

• Difficulties with speech

• Difficulty in chewing

• Difficulty in swallowing

• Difficulty in breathing,

• Weakness of extremities

Any age group is affected. The illness is more common in women than men. There's no cure for myasthenia gravis, but treatments are available to help control the signs and symptoms of the condition.

Some factors can make myasthenia gravis worse, including fatigue, illness, stress, extreme heat, and some medications, such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, quinine and some antibiotics.

Basic care to be taken in Myasthenia gravis:

• Adjust your eating routine

• Use safety precautions at home

• Use electric appliances and power tools

• Wear an eye patch

Role of Homeopathy in Myasthenia gravis:
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic illness which is progressive in nature. There is no cure for this illness in homeopathy. Homeopathic constitutional treatment approach may help in reducing the weakness and slow the progress of the illness as homeopathic medicines help in balancing the disturbed immune system in many illnesses which are triggered by abnormal immune response like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis. We recommend that homeopathic medicines should be used along with conventional treatment as a complementary treatment for myasthenia gravis to enhance the improvement.

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