The disease usually reaches its peak of severity in the first three years of smptoms. After this time, the chance for a positive stabilization and remission of the disease increases. Management of the disease depends upon the age of the patient, the type of myasthenia gravis and the severity of symptoms. With this disease, the body produces antibodies against parts of itself, in this case the muscles. The antibodies attack nerve receptors which cause a lack of nerve and muscle communication, impairing the ability of muscles to contract.
Repetitive tasks cause extreme muscle fatigue and weakness.
This weakness is not generalized over the body but rather within those muscle group areas involved. Common signs may include drooping eyelids, a blank facial expression, facial paralysis, arm and leg weakness, drooping head, poor posture and double vision. In some cases, there is difficulty with chewing or swallowing. For those whose eating problems are less serious, a soft or pureed diet may be recommended to reduce the coughing and choking that is present when attempting to swallow. People who suffer with this type of myasthenia gravis are encouraged to eat smaller meals containing moist, more liquid foods that require less chewing and swallowing motions, thus taking stress off the muscles that perform these tasks.