It is one of the most misdiagnosed and overlooked diseases, and it can be fatal if untreated. For years it was known among the public as the disease that claimed the life of Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping industry leader who married Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. No one knows for sure what triggers the disease. Although it can strike anyone of any age, two main clusters seem to be young women and middle-aged men. Myasthenia gravis causes a person's immune system to prevent nerve impulses from activating muscles that control such functions as swallowing and eye movement.
Symptoms can come and go.
They include drooping eyelids and double vision, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, slurred speech, muscle weakness and joint soreness, and overwhelming fatigue. An estimated 50,000 Americans are afflicted with it. The disease is very unknown by the general public. The Alabama chapter held its second annual walkathon in March in Birmingham and Huntsville, with 100 walkers in each city. It's been a true success in informing the public that this disease exists.