Can myasthenia gravis use non-invasive ventilators?

Written by Liu Hong Mei
Neurology
Updated on December 26, 2024
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Myasthenia gravis can be treated with a non-invasive ventilator, and it is generally manageable with medication. Early stages of myasthenia gravis may present with symptoms such as ptosis, poor breathability, respiratory difficulty, worsening symptoms after activity, and increased severity in the evening. Respiratory weakness might require treatment with a non-invasive ventilator. If respiratory weakness does not improve with medication and leads to respiratory failure, it is advisable to use a non-invasive ventilator to improve the patient's symptoms and alleviate difficulties. Respiratory muscle weakness can be life-threatening and requires active treatment.

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Written by Liu Hong Mei
Neurology
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Will severe myasthenia gravis swallowing difficulties improve?

Myasthenia gravis and difficulty swallowing generally improve with medication treatment. Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disease that typically presents with worsened muscle weakness and swallowing difficulties during fatigue. This condition requires targeted pharmacological treatment and further repetitive stimulation, which can involve specific medications and steroids. Swallowing difficulties associated with myasthenia gravis are typical of generalized myasthenia gravis, necessitating active pharmaceutical treatment, which usually has good outcomes. Avoid overworking, staying up too late, smoking, and excessive drinking. It is important to rest sufficiently, ensure ample sleep, eat fresh vegetables and fruits, and consume high-protein, nutritious foods.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What is myasthenia gravis?

Myasthenia gravis is a group of neuromuscular junction disorders and is also an autoimmune disease of the nervous system. It primarily involves the production of certain antibodies in the body that attack the acetylcholine receptors on the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. This results in the inability of nerve impulses to be effectively transmitted to the muscles, causing the muscles to lose neural control, leading to weakness of the limbs. This weakness is typically more pronounced in the evening than in the morning, with symptoms being lighter upon waking and worsening in the afternoon. As the disease is caused by an autoimmune response, a major focus of treatment is to suppress this abnormal immune reaction, primarily through the administration of corticosteroids. Additionally, many patients with myasthenia gravis also exhibit thymus abnormalities, necessitating thorough CT examinations of the thymus.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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Does myasthenia gravis hurt?

Myasthenia gravis does not cause pain. Initially, patients with myasthenia gravis may feel discomfort such as soreness or swelling in the eyes or limbs, blurred vision, or fatigue. As the condition progresses, skeletal muscles become noticeably fatigued and weak. A significant characteristic is muscle weakness, which worsens after exertion in the afternoon or evening and improves after rest in the morning, known as "morning better, evening worse." Patients with myasthenia gravis can experience involvement of skeletal muscles throughout the body, manifesting as drooping eyelids, blurred vision, double vision, strabismus, restricted eye movements, bland facial expressions, a "forced smile" appearance, speech impairments resembling a thick tongue often accompanied by a nasal sound. Additionally, they may have chewing difficulties, coughing or choking when drinking, swallowing difficulties, trouble raising the head, weak shoulder shrugging, difficulty lifting arms, combing hair, climbing stairs, squatting, and getting into vehicles, primarily due to muscle weakness, which does not lead to pain.

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Written by Liu Hong Mei
Neurology
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Can metronidazole be used for myasthenia gravis?

Patients with myasthenia gravis must use ornidazole with caution and under the guidance of a doctor because the side effects of ornidazole may exacerbate myasthenia gravis. However, ornidazole is not relatively or absolutely contraindicated for patients with myasthenia gravis. Generally, the patient's side effects are observed, and if myasthenia gravis is aggravated, the use of ornidazole is recommended to be cautious or prohibited. Ornidazole can cause neurological reactions, including headache, fatigue, dizziness, trembling, limb numbness and weakness, convulsions, mental confusion, epileptic seizures, ataxia, and consciousness disturbances, and may cause peripheral nerve damage.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Can myasthenia gravis be cured completely?

Myasthenia gravis is a relatively common disease in neurology. Whether it can be completely cured mainly depends on the severity of the disease and some of its subtypes. For instance, patients with ocular myasthenia gravis only exhibit symptoms such as ptosis; by using some corticosteroids or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, some patients can be cured. However, there are also patients who experience generalized muscle weakness, which is particularly severe and may even affect the respiratory muscles. These patients need long-term or even lifelong medication to prevent the recurrence of severe myasthenia gravis. Additionally, some patients with myasthenia gravis also have thymomas, and many patients can be cured after the removal of the thymoma. Therefore, most cases of myasthenia gravis cannot be completely cured and require long-term medication, though a small portion might be curable.