Here is information on Myasthenia Gravis
“Myasthenia gravis can affect any of the muscles that you control voluntarily. It can affect muscles of the face, hands, eyes, arms and legs and those muscles involved in chewing, swallowing and talking. Muscles that control breathing and neck movement also can be affected.
MG does not affect involuntary muscles such as the heart, smooth muscles of the gut, blood vessels, and uterus.
For most people, the first noticeable symptom is weakness of the eye muscles causing drooping eyelids or double vision. In others, difficulty in swallowing and slurred speech may be the first signs. The onset of the disease is usually gradual, but may be sudden. Symptoms may come and go over time. Symptoms often are not immediately recognized as MG, especially if they are subtle or variable.
Symptoms, which vary in type, severity and combination, may include:
Drooping of one or both eyelids
Double or blurred vision
Weakness in arms, hands, neck, face or legs
Difficulty in chewing, smiling, swallowing or talking
Excessive fatigue in exercised muscle groups
Difficult breathing or shallow respiration
Most individuals do not develop all of the symptoms.
Myasthenia gravis is often called the “snowflake disease” because it differs so much from person to person. The degree of muscle weakness and the muscles that are affected vary greatly from patient to patient and from time to time.
While weakness in the eye muscles is the most common initial symptom in MG, in some patients weakness remains limited to the eyes for entire course of the disease. These patients have ocular MG. Others have generalized MG where symptoms are present throughout the body, usually including the eyes. For instance, it may be hard to hold up an arm to comb your hair or shave or put on make-up. With a weakened grip, it may be difficult to open jars. Weak hips may make it difficult to get out of deep chairs or the bathtub. Legs may tire when climbing stairs.
People with MG are more likely to suffer from another autoimmune disease as well. These can include thyroid disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. With thyroid disease, an episode of hypothyroidism may trigger a flare-up of MG weakness.
If a person’s ability to breathe, cough, or protect their airway becomes insufficient, it’s called a myasthenic crisis. These patients need mechanical breathing assistance in a hospital for a period of time until their strength improves. While most myasthenics never experience a crisis, those who have trouble swallowing and talking are the ones most likely also to have trouble breathing. Before a crisis happens usually there are progressive warning signs that swallowing, talking, and breathing are becoming compromised.”
http://myastheniagravis.org/mgfi_symptoms.aspx
http://www.myasthenia.org.au/html/symptoms.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179968.php
I hope this information helps,
Blessing,
Rebecca