Myasthenia gravis: Constant tiredness could be a sign of this rare disease

There are many reasons to feel tired. The return of summer temperatures, which can sometimes make us feel a little soft, overworked, and lack of sleep - in short, life. That said, it can also be caused by an illness that is still little known to the general public.

Fatigue and muscular difficulties

Do you know whatautoimmune myasthenia is, also known as myasthenia gravis? This particularly rare condition involves a transmission defect between nerve and muscle. Sufferers also experience more or less fluctuating muscular difficulties.

According to the NHS, symptoms include droopy eyelids, double vision, and difficulty making facial expressions. It can also cause a person to experience trouble chewing and swallowing, slurred speech as well as weak arms, legs or neck. Finally, it can cause shortness of breath.

According to the AFM Telethon:

Autoimmune myasthenia gravis is one of the main neuromuscular diseases of adults. However, it can begin in childhood.

A complex disease to diagnose

The website then explains that the condition isn't hereditary but a disease that comes from a malfunction of a person's immune system and causes muscle weakness.

This is not a hereditary genetic disease, but an autoimmune one: it results from a malfunction of the immune system, causing muscle weakness that varies from day to day, or even from moment to moment.

The problem is that sufferers don't even suspect they have the condition. What's more, this neuromuscular disease is very difficult to detect. Sufferers usually assume that they are overworked or simply not getting enough sleep.

Neurology professor Jan De Bleeckere explains to SudInfo

These are vague symptoms, which people themselves often regard as fatigue

As reported by Muscular Dystrophy UK Myasthenia gravis affects roughly 15 in 100,000 people.

This article is translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Muscular Dystrophy UK: 'Myasthenia gravis'

SudInfo: 'Cette maladie encore méconnue touche des milliers de Belges: 'Les personnes atteintes apparentent les symptômes à de la fatigue'

AFM Telethon: 'Myasthénie auto-immune'

NHS: 'Myasthenia gravis'