---
description: Learn about Myasthenia Gravis, a rare autoimmune disorder causing muscle weakness. Review symptoms, causes, and treatment options.
title: Myasthenia Gravis
image: https://autoimmune.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/placeholder.jpg
---

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# What is Myasthenia Gravis

**Myasthenia gravis** is disease that causes weakness in the muscles under your control. It happens because of a problem in communication between your nerves and muscles. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease. Your body’s own immune system makes antibodies that block or change some of the nerve signals to your muscles. This makes your muscles weaker. Common symptoms are trouble with eye and eyelid movement, facial expression and swallowing. But it can also affect other muscles. The weakness gets worse with activity, and better with rest. There are medicines to help improve nerve-to-muscle messages and make muscles stronger. With treatment, the muscle weakness often gets much better. Other drugs keep your body from making so many abnormal antibodies. There are also treatments which filter abnormal antibodies from the blood or add healthy antibodies from donated blood. Sometimes surgery to take out the thymus gland helps. For some people, myasthenia gravis can go into remission and they do not need medicines. The remission can be temporary or permanent. If you have myasthenia gravis, it is important to follow your treatment plan. If you do, you can expect your life to be normal or close to it.

- ### Related Diseases
  - [Lambert-Eaton Syndrome](https://autoimmune.org/disease-information/lambert-eaton-syndrome/)
  - [Graves’ Disease](https://autoimmune.org/disease-information/graves-disease/)
- ## Want to help? Your gift has the power to advance research, expand education, and get us one step closer to a world without autoimmune disease. [Make a Gift](https://give.autoimmune.org/give/584055)

## Related Autoimmune Patient Groups

![Conquer Myasthenia Gravis]()

Conquer Myasthenia Gravis

[Visit Website](https://www.myastheniagravis.org/)

![Myasthenia Gravis Foundation Of America]()

Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America

[Visit Website](https://myasthenia.org/)

## Looking for more information?

Many of our partner organizations specialize in support for specific autoimmune diseases and have additional resources, research and care-management information available.

[Learn More](https://autoimmune.org/about-us/partners-collaborators/?tab=national-coalition)

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