A chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by fluctuating weakness of voluntary muscles, especially those controlling eye movements, facial expression, and chewing. The weakness worsens with activity and improves with rest, due to antibodies that impair transmission at the neuromuscular junction.
"The patient was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis after observing ptosis that worsened throughout the day."
"Treatment for myasthenia gravis often includes acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and immunosuppressants."
"She participates in a support group for individuals living with myasthenia gravis."
"Researchers are exploring newer therapies to target the autoimmune mechanism behind myasthenia gravis."
The term myasthenia derives from Greek mya, meaning 'muscle', and astheneia, meaning 'weakness', first used in the 19th century to describe fluctuating muscle weakness. Gravis comes from Latin gravis, meaning 'heavy' or 'serious', indicating severity. The assembled phrase myasthenia gravis emerged as clinicians described a neuromuscular disorder with fatigable weakness; early descriptions linked ptosis and diplopia with autoimmune phenomena. The modern understanding solidified in the 20th century, recognizing antibodies (notably against acetylcholine receptors) as a driving cause, leading to targeted immunomodulatory therapies. The name thus encodes both the symptom (myasthenia—muscle weakness) and the disease’s gravity (grav-is). First known medical usage appears in late 1800s to early 1900s literature, with later foundational work in neurology refining diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies.
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Words that rhyme with "Myasthenia Gravis"
-ess sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say it as my-uh-STHEH-nee-uh GRAH-viss, with primary stress on the second syllable of myasthenia and on grav in gravis. IPA: US: ˌmaɪ.əsˈθi.niə ˈɡreɪ.vɪs. Focus on the four-syllable mitral flow: my-æs-TEH-nee-uh; ensure 'th' is an aspirated th as in 'think', not a 'v' sound. An audio reference you can compare with includes medical pronunciation clips; aim for crisp consonants between syllables.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the first syllable of myasthenia (you say MY-as-the-nee-a) and softening the 'th' to a 't' or 'd' sound. Another pitfall is mispronouncing gravis as 'grave-iss' with a long 'a' in grav, or compressing the second word. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable of myasthenia (ma-ˌsˈthe-nee-uh) and stress gravis on the first syllable (GRAV-is). Use a clear 'th' as in 'think', not a dental 't', and keep final 's' as a soft plural.
US: four-syllable my-a-STH-nee-a with rhotic US accent; primary stress on 'the' of myasthenia and 'grav' of gravis. UK: similarly four syllables but with a slightly shorter final 'a' in 'nia' and non-rhotic tendency; 'grav-is' can be clipped. AU: often rhotic but with broader vowel in 'ni-a', and 'grav' may be slightly more open. IPA references: US ˌmaɪ.əsˈθi.niə ˈɡreɪ.vɪs; UK ˌmaɪ.əsˈθiː.ni.ə ˈɡreɪ.vɪs; AU ˌmaɪ.əsˈθi.ni.ə ˈɡreɪ.vɪs.
Because it contains a long, multi-syllabic proper name with a tricky 'th' consonant sequence and a two-word compound that must carry distinct stresses. The 'as-the' cluster can blur, and the final '-is' in gravis might link quickly to the preceding vowel, reducing intelligibility. The key is to segment: my-as-the-nia (with stress on ni-ə) and grav-is (stress on grav). Practice the 'θ' sound clearly (as in think) and keep a steady pace between syllables.
Pay attention to the 'th' consonant in the middle: it is the voiceless dental fricative θ, not a 't' or 'd' or 'th' as in 'this'. Keep 'nia' as a separate syllable and avoid merging 'the' with 'nia'. A small pause between 'as' and 'the' can improve clarity: my-æs-θi-nee-ə. Visualize the mouth positions: tongue tip to upper teeth, a light breath for θ, then a crisp 'n' and 'ee-uh' ending.
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