Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis

List of symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis:

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Myasthenia Gravis includes the 25 symptoms listed below:

• Muscle weakness
• Eye muscle weakness
• Eyelid muscle weakness
• Drooping eyelids
• Double vision
• Facial muscle weakness
• Facial expression difficulty
• Flat expression
• Difficulty chewing
• Difficulty talking
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
• Neck muscle weakness
• Limb muscle weakness
• Muscle weakness on exertion
• Muscle weakness
• Nasal voice
• Weak voice
• Impaired swallowing ability
• Impaired chewing ability
• Swallowing difficulty
• Weak eye muscles
• Drooping upper eyelid
• Double vision

Note that Myasthenia Gravis symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Myasthenia Gravis signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.

Research More About Myasthenia Gravis

Do I have Myasthenia Gravis?

• Myasthenia Gravis: Introduction
• Myasthenia Gravis: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
• Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Myasthenia Gravis
• Failure to Diagnose Myasthenia Gravis
• Hidden Causes of Myasthenia Gravis
• How serious is it?
• Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis
• More about Myasthenia Gravis

Wrongly Diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Myasthenia Gravis includes:

• Botulism
• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
• Aminoglycoside induced muscular weakness
• Neurasthenia
• Hyperthyroidism

See the full list of 9 alternative diagnoses for Myasthenia Gravis

More about symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis:

More information about symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis and related conditions:

• Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
• Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis
• Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Myasthenia Gravis
• Underlying causes of Myasthenia Gravis
• Associated conditions for Myasthenia Gravis

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

• Difficulty breathing - see all causes of Breathing difficulties
• Difficulty chewing - see all causes of Dental symptoms
• Difficulty swallowing - see all causes of Swallowing difficulty
• Difficulty talking - see all causes of Difficulty talking
• Double vision - see all causes of Double vision
• Double vision - see all causes of Double vision
• Drooping eyelids - see all causes of Droopy eye-lid
• Drooping upper eyelid - see all causes of Droopy eye-lid
• Eye muscle weakness - see all causes of Eye movement symptoms
• Eyelid muscle weakness - see all causes of Eyelid symptoms
• Facial expression difficulty - see all causes of Lack of facial expression
• Facial muscle weakness - see all causes of Facial weakness
• Flat expression - see all causes of Lack of facial expression
• Limb muscle weakness - see all causes of Muscle weakness
• Muscle weakness - see all causes of Muscle weakness
• Muscle weakness - see all causes of Muscle weakness
• Muscle weakness on exertion - see all causes of Exercise symptoms
• Nasal voice - see all causes of Nasal voice
• Neck muscle weakness - see all causes of Neck symptoms
• Slurred speech - see all causes of Slurred speech
• Swallowing difficulty - see all causes of Swallowing difficulty
• Weak eye muscles - see all causes of Eye movement symptoms

Medical Books Online about Myasthenia Gravis

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Myasthenia Gravis are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Myasthenia Gravis.

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis.

Myasthenia gravis: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The dominant symptoms of myasthenia gravis are skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability. In the early stages, easy fatigability of certain muscles may appear with no other findings. Later, it may be severe enough to cause paralysis. Typically, myasthenic muscles are strongest in the morning but weaken throughout the day, especially after exercise. Short rest periods temporarily restore muscle function. Muscle weakness is progressive; more and more muscles become weak, and eventually some muscles may lose function entirely. Resulting symptoms depend on the muscle group affected; they become more intense during menses and after emotional stress, prolonged exposure to sunlight or cold, or infections.

Onset may be sudden or insidious. In many patients, weak eye closure, ptosis, and diplopia are the first signs that something is wrong. Patients with myasthenia gravis usually have blank, expressionless faces and nasal vocal tones. They experience frequent nasal regurgitation of fluids and have difficulty chewing and swallowing. Because of this, they usually worry about choking. Their eyelids droop (ptosis), and they may have to tilt their heads back to see. Their neck muscles may become too weak to support their heads without bobbing.

In patients with weakened respiratory muscles, decreased tidal volume and vital capacity make breathing difficult and predispose to pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections. Respiratory muscle weakness (myasthenic crisis) may be severe enough to require an emergency airway and mechanical ventilation.

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Myasthenia gravis: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

The dominant symptoms of myasthenia gravis are skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability. In the early stages, easy fatigability of certain muscles, notably the eye and eyelid muscles and muscles involving swallowing and talking, may appear with no other findings. Later, it may be severe enough to cause paralysis. Typically, myasthenic muscles are strongest in the morning but weaken throughout the day, especially after exercise. Short rest periods temporarily restore muscle function.

Progressive muscle weakness

More and more muscles become weak, and eventually some muscles may lose function entirely. Resulting symptoms depend on the muscle group affected; they become more intense during menses and after emotional stress, prolonged exposure to sunlight or cold, or infections.

Onset may be sudden or insidious. In many patients, weak eye closure, ptosis, and diplopia are the first signs that something is wrong.

Myasthenic patients may have hoarseness or a changing voice because of muscle weakness. They experience difficulty chewing and swallowing and are prone to choking. Eyelids droop and may impair vision. Neck muscles may become too weak to support the head without bobbing.

In patients with weakened respiratory muscles, decreased tidal volume and vital capacity make breathing difficult and predispose them to pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections. Respiratory muscle weakness (myasthenic crisis) may be severe enough to require an emergency airway and mechanical ventilation.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis:

NINDS Myasthenia Gravis Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)

The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Muscles that control eye and eyelid movements, facial expression, chewing, talking, and swallowing are often, but not always, involved. The muscles that that control breathing and neck and limb movements may also be affected. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Myasthenia Gravis Information Page: NINDS)

NINDS Myasthenia Gravis Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)

The first noticeable symptoms of myasthenia gravis may be weakness of the eye muscles, difficulty in swallowing, or slurred speech. Symptoms vary in type and severity. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Myasthenia Gravis Information Page: NINDS)

MYASTHENIA GRAVIS: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Depending on the severity of each individual case, MG may be limited to the facial muscles, especially ocular (eye) muscles, causing drooping of the eyelids (ptosis), and/or difficulty in chewing, swallowing, smiling and talking. In more severe instances, the disease may affect all of the skeletal or voluntary muscles, including those that control breathing, coughing, arm and leg movements. (Source: excerpt from MYASTHENIA GRAVIS: NWHIC)

Myasthenia Gravis as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis, it is also important to consider Myasthenia Gravis as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Myasthenia Gravis may cause:

• Blepharoptosis
• Dysphagia
• Dysphonia
• Electromyogram abnormalities
• External ophthalmoplegia
• Lower motor neurone lesion
• Muscle weakness
• Respiratory failure type 2

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis
• Research Alternative Diagnoses for Myasthenia Gravis
• How serious is Myasthenia Gravis?
• More about Myasthenia Gravis
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis. This signs and symptoms information for Myasthenia Gravis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Myasthenia Gravis signs or Myasthenia Gravis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Myasthenia Gravis symptoms.