http://mgfile.htm Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:25:32 GMT Web Easy by Avanquest Software Myasthenia gravis is a life-threatening debilitating rare and complex neuromuscular auto-immune disease that interferes with the communication between the nerves and muscles, resulting in muscle weakness and fatigue. It is a little-understood rare genetic auto-immune disorder that shortens the lifespan of those diagnosed with the disease. Myasthenia gravis (meye-uhss-THEEN-ee-uh GRAV uhss) comes from Greek and Latin words meaning "grave muscle weakness." It occurs when, for unknown reasons, the immune system mistakenly attacks muscles that receive nerve impulses, which signal the muscles to contract (neuromuscular junctions). It is five times more rare in children than in adults which means 1 child in 500,000 will be diagnosed with MG (Karen Hill-Whitson, president of the MG Ontario chapter). Individuals with Myasthenia Gravis also have rapid fatigue of their muscles. Symptoms of muscle weakness get worse with repetitive activities such as blinking or opening and closing a fist repeatedly. The muscle weakness can also make it difficult to hold the individual's head or arm up for more than a few minutes. http://mgfile.htm Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:25:32 GMT http://mgfile.htm#1