According to Medical-Surgical Nursing: 7th Edition, Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that can be considered a chronic neuromuscular disease (Lewis et al., 2007, p. 1555). MG is caused by an autoimmune process in which “antibodies attack acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, resulting in a decrease in the number of ACh receptor (AChR) sites at the neuromuscular junction” (p. 1555). Due to the inability of the neurotransmitter to connect the muscles and nerves, it is difficult for the muscle to contract. This disease basically causes muscle fatigue and therefore a deterioration of muscle strength over time. (John Hopkins Medicine, n.d.) In many ways, it is like a satellite unable to detect a signal when blocked by interfering radio waves. The Yale School of Medicine online article regarding Myasthenia Gravis states that the term MG was first coined in 1672 by Thomas Willis. Simpson, in 1960, solved the mystery of MG when he theorized that it was caused by antibodies targeting the acetylcholine receptor (Yale School of Medicine, 2012). This was also demonstrated by scientists Simpson and Nastuck observed in 1959, who demonstrated that it was an autoimmune disease that had no connection to genetics (Conti-Fine, Milani, & Kaminski, 2006). The symptoms that occur when a person contracts Myasthenia Gravis often begin with the drooping of the eyelids. Clinical Reference Systems (2010) states that as the disease progresses, blurred vision and difficulty maintaining a steady gaze begin to occur due to further weakness of the eye muscles. Facial paralysis is common, as is slurred speech and difficulty breathing, chewing, or swallowing due to weakness in the face and throat. This often leads to gagging, drooling, or... middle of paper......s/myasthenia_gravis.htmlMyasthenia Gravis. (n.d.). In John Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/adult/nervous_system_disorde rs/myasthenia_gravis_85,P07785/NINDS Myasthenia gravis information page. (2011, October 17). At the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/myasthenia_gravis/myasthenia_gravis.htmLewis, S., Heitkemper, M., Dirksen, S., O'Brien, P., & Bucher, L (2007). Medical-surgical nursing: Evaluation and management of clinical problems. (7th ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Mosby Inc. Yale School of Medicine (2011). Myasthenia gravis. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from the Yale School of Medicine website: http://medicine.yale.edu/neurology/divisions/neuromuscular/mg.aspx