An autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome occurs when the body’s immune system erroneously attacks particular parts of the nervous system for unknown reasons. Commonly referred to as GBS, the unsystematic attacks cause nerve inflammation, leading to muscle fatigue and exhaustion. Unfamiliar with what causes GBS, research has traced the disease to most often precede a minor infection. Symptoms typically present themselves after the original infection has departed.
Symptoms
Because GBS is concentrated on nerve damage, symptoms are most recognizably in the form of pain. As the disease progresses, paralysis will spread, causing a patient’s muscular tenderness. The root of GBS pain comes from paralyzed muscles, incautious movement, excess pressure or uncomfortable lying positions.
Early stages of pain can be compared with cramps, throbbing or aching sensations, or equivalent to the pain of kidney stones. As patients transition toward the recovery stage, so does the pain, since it becomes heavily focused in the hands and feet, causing burning and sensitivity. The shift in pain is caused by the nervous system’s healing process and will increase with any form of heavy lifting or excess strain on the muscles.
Treatment
If signs of difficult breathing are present, most GBS patients are hospitalized and admitted into an intensive care unit. The goal of immediate treatment, because GBS is currently incurable, is to reduce the pressing symptoms, propose immunotherapy in an effort to shorten the duration of the disease and maintain the body’s muscle mass. Treatment management, which occurs immediately after diagnosis, is focused on removing or blocking antibodies from the bloodstream. Removing or redirecting antibodies, which are proteins that attack the nerve cells, may reduce the intensity of GBS.
One of the essential elements when dealing with GBS patients is to recognize and understand their need to be kept calm. Though the disease is serious and paired with high levels of stress, the majority of patients experience recovery.
Sources:
HealthCommunities.com: http://www.neurologychannel.com/guillain/treatment.shtml
Medline Plus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000684.htm