A disease called myasthenia gravis can make muscles prone to weakness and fatigue. The condition may impact the muscles that regulate eye and eyelid movement. This could result in double vision or drooping eyelids.
Most patients with myasthenic eye symptoms may experience weakening in other body parts within a year or two. The face, eyes, arms, and legs muscles are all impacted by this more severe form. The muscles involved for chewing, swallowing, and communicating are also impacted. Breathing muscles may be impacted. When it does, a myasthenic crisis occurs, which is a potentially fatal circumstance.
It is usual for people with myasthenia gravis to experience periods of muscle weakness followed by intervals of little to no symptomatology.
Myasthenia gravis is brought on by the body’s immune system harming the receptors in the muscles. Your immune system creates antibodies that block the receptors when you have myasthenia gravis. The chemical’s ability to reach the receptors from nerve terminals is harmed by this interference. This link is necessary for your muscles to function properly. The muscles weaken without it.
The eyes are frequently affected early on in myasthenia gravis. Ptosis, or drooping eyelids, is the most prevalent symptom. Either one or both eyes may be impacted. As the day wears on, myasthenia gravis patients could also experience increasing fatigue.
Other signs of myasthenia gravis include trouble breathing, talking, chewing, or swallowing, double vision, and weakness in the arms or legs.
Myasthenia gravis has no known risk factors. Myasthenia gravis runs in families, thus there may be an increased risk of contracting it. Between the ages of 20 and 40, myasthenia gravis is more common in women. After the age of 60, men are more likely to have the disease. Nevertheless, anyone can get myasthenia gravis.
Stress, illness, and fatigue all contribute to the worsening of myasthenia gravis. Before using any new prescription or OTC medication if you have myasthenia, see your doctor. Myasthenia gravis symptoms can get worse as a result of taking certain medications.
To choose the most appropriate course of action, your ophthalmologist will consult with a neurologist. The affected muscles’ degree of weakness as well as other factors will alter the course of treatment.
Treatment options may include plasmapheresis, surgery to remove the thymus gland if your doctors believe it may be contributing, medications that help improve nerve-muscle communication and increase muscle strength, medications that increase muscle strength by suppressing the production of abnormal antibodies, and both. By doing this, aberrant antibodies in the blood are removed and are replaced by healthy cells and intravenous immune globulin. This medication has the ability to increase antibodies from donated blood.
To improve daily life, physical rehabilitation and learning new coping mechanisms may be helpful.
At The Eye Center- Dr. Mahnaz Naveed Shah & Associates our team of eight ophthalmology subspecialists/ eye specialists, eye surgeons who are considered amongst the very best eye specialists in Karachi and in Pakistan, have the diagnostic and treatment capabilities to treat from the simplest to the most complex patients. We work hard to provide our patients with the best possible medical and surgical eye care, in a state of the art purpose built eye care facility. We offer the entire array of medical, laser and surgical treatments to help provide patients the best possible care in the most efficient, safe and ethical manner.
If you need an appointment, please contact us at 03041119544 during our working hours or leave us a WhatsApp message at +923028291799 and someone will connect with you. Walk-in appointments are also available for emergencies. We can also be reached through our web portal on www.surgicaleyecenter.org