Monica Seles reveals a battle with rare muscular diseases, Myasthenia Gravis

The tennis champion Monica Seles speaks publicly for the first time in her battle with a rare and incurable disease of muscle dissipation.

Grave myasthenia (MG) is a chronic neuromuscular disease which causes a weakness of “voluntary muscles”, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and strokes.

The voluntary muscles are those that connect to the bones, the face, the throat and the diaphragm. They contract to move the arms and legs and are essential for breathing, swallowing and facial movements.

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“My MG trip in the past five years has not been easy,” Seles said in a press release announcing his collaboration with the Argenx Immunology Society.

“I felt isolated and defeated, because many activities that I appreciated were no longer physically possible for me.”

The partnership of Seles with Argenx aims to raise awareness and understand MG and connect people assigned to available tools and resources.

Monica Seles recently talked about her diagnosis of serious myasthenia. (Argenx)

What to know of Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis is classified as an autoimmune disease, according to Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, certified neurologist of the Board of Directors at the County Hospital of the Comté de Jackson-Madison in Jackson, Tennessee.

This means that the body’s own defense system attacks the link between nerves and muscles.

“I felt isolated and defeated, because many activities that I appreciated were no longer physically possible for me.”

“Severe myasthenia is different from other neuromuscular diseases since patient symptoms fluctuate throughout the day,” Murray told Fox News Digital.

Global symptoms range from very light double vision and the grave of the eyelids to the difficulties of walking, breathing and swallowing.

“My trip MG in the past five years has not been easy,” Seles said in a press release. (Argenx)

“Some patients who start with only light eye symptoms can progress to more serious symptoms during the first years of their diagnosis,” added the doctor.

However, some patients only feel eye problems.

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The heat, such as summer weather conditions or hot showers, can worsen symptoms, according to experts. As physical effort can also exacerbate symptoms, Murray noted that patients had to rhythm.

Certain health problems – such as COVID -19, flu or urinary tract infections – can trigger a serious worsening of symptoms, called “myasthenic crisis”, which often leads to hospitalization for narrower respiratory surveillance.

Global symptoms range from very light double vision and the grave of the eyelids to the difficulties of walking, breathing and swallowing. (istock)

It is important that patients allow their doctors to know that they have serious myasthenia before starting a new medication, said Murray, as some drugs, including antibiotics, can worsen symptoms.

“If there is one question, patients can always check with their neurologist,” he advised.

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Doctors generally manage MG in two ways. First, they can prescribe a drug such as pyridostigmine, which can temporarily reduce muscle weakness, according to Mayo Clinic.

They can also prescribe drugs that calm the immune system to prevent it from attacking nerves and muscles.

Certain health problems – such as COVID -19, flu or urinary tract infections – may trigger a serious aggravation of symptoms. (istock)

In the past, this immune removal has been carried out with steroids such as prednisone. Now there are more recent drugs that target the disease more directly. These targeted treatments can work well and can cause fewer side effects, according to Murray.

Although MG could be serious, the doctor stressed that it was not the end of the road.

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“Most patients experience a fairly normal life, both personally and professionally,” he said. “With close management and a familiar neurologist with MG, treatments can be adapted to optimize the quality of life of patients.”

Anyone who has occasionally experienced a double vision, a touch of the eyelid or a weakness that gets worse with fatigue should speak to his doctor to be tested, Murray recommends.

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The diagnosis generally involves blood tests, nervous tests and neurological evaluation.

Symptoms such as difficulty breathing, swallowing or keeping the head require immediate emergency care, Murray said.

Fox News Digital contacted Monica Seles asking for comments.