Guillain Barre Syndrome

Luna, a 50-year-old woman, initially experiences tingling and numbness in her legs and feet before the symptoms progress to her arms and upper torso. The doctor concluded that she has Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The Guillain-Barre Syndrome Overview :

The Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare autoimmune neurological state in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves in the peripheral area. This causes muscular weakness, numbness, and, in extreme instances, paralysis. While the specific origin is uncertain, GBS frequently follows an infection that is either bacterial or viral.

 

Symptoms Of Guillain-Barré Syndrome :

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) symptoms can be serious and progressive, they are:

Initial Stage Symptoms are :

• Tingling and numbness: Typically begins in the fingers, toes, and feet before spreading.
• Muscle weakness begins in the legs and may proceed upward.
• Pain: Aching or cramping, particularly in the back, shoulders, and thighs.

Progressive Stage Symptoms are :

• Reflex loss occurs when deep tendon reflexes (such as the knee-jerk reflex) weaken or vanish.
• Difficulty Walking: Leg weakness results in an unstable walk.
• Paralysis might progress to the arms, face, and respiratory muscles.
• face weakness includes difficulty smiling, blinking, or moving face muscles.
• Speech & Swallowing Difficulties include slurred speech and choking on food or drinks.
• Breathing Problems: In extreme situations, respiratory muscles weaken and require ventilation support.
• Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction includes irregular pulse, fluctuating blood pressure, and digestive problems.

 

Life-threatening symptoms are :

• Respiratory Failure: When the diaphragm is damaged, breathing can become difficult.
• Complete Paralysis: Some people may have near-total body paralysis.
• Severe pain is deep, nerve-related discomfort that intensifies at night.

Types OF Guillain Barre Syndrome : 

1. Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP) :

• The most prevalent kind in North America and Europe.
• Muscle weakness starting in the lower body and moving upward.
• Recovery might take weeks or months, and physical therapy is typically required.

2. Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN) : 

• More widespread in Asia, Central America, and South America.
• Symptoms include rapid and severe muscular weakness, especially in the legs.
• Recovery can be quick with good treatment, but in some cases, it takes longer than usual.

3. Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS): 

• It is more frequent in Asia.
• paralysis takes place in the eyes.
• Recovery phase from Symptoms usually improves after a few weeks.

4. Acute Motor and Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN) :

• It affects both Sensory nerves and motor Nerves
• Symptoms are acute paralysis.
• Numbness and sensory loss.
• Recovery generally takes longer than other types.

Diagnosing Of Guillain Syndrome :

In its early stages, Guillain-Barré Syndrome may be challenging to diagnose.

Physical Examination :

• Muscle weakness that increases over time
• Hyporeflexia or areflexia, or loss of reflexes
• Numbness or tingling (paresthesia)
• in extreme situations, difficulty breathing, swallowing, or walking
• Recent infection history like gastrointestinal or respiratory infection.

Diagnostic Tests :

• lumbar puncture: It checks for high protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) without a noticeable rise in white blood cells, which is a symptom of Guillain Barre Syndrome. 
• Nerve conduction velocity test (NCV): The capacity of the nerve to transmit a signal is measured by this test. Because the myelin sheath is disrupted in GBS, messages moving over the injured nerves are delayed.
• MRI of the Spine:  it aids in ruling out spinal cord disorders and other potential causes of weakness. In GBS, it could demonstrate nerve root enlargement (inflammation).

Treatment for GBS: Although GBS cannot be cured, problems can be avoided, recovery can be accelerated, and severity can be decreased with early treatment.

The Main Treatments Included are :

• Plasma exchange: It is also called as pheresis. The plasma and blood are returned to your body after being separated and treated by a machine during this procedure. It removes harmful antibodies from the blood that attack the nerves.
• Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG): uses strong antibodies from healthy donors to neutralize the immune system’s attack on neurons. Typically spread out over five days.

Causes Of guillain barre syndrome:

Post-infectious: The condition usually appears after an infection (“post-” meaning “after”). Up to 70% of GBS patients experienced symptoms within one to six weeks of being unwell.

Immune-mediated: An immune-mediated disease arises from an aberrant immune system response. After getting sick, some people’s immune systems react abnormally, attacking and damaging their peripheral nerves, resulting in GBS.

Rehabilitation

Physical Therapy (PT): Strength training using moderate, progressive movements. stretching to avoid stiff joints and tense muscles. Exercise for coordination and balance can lower the risk of falls.

Occupational Therapy (OT): relearning how to do everyday tasks including eating, dressing, and taking a shower. It helps in doing daily activities.

Speech Therapy: When GBS affects the muscles in the mouth, it helps people who have trouble swallowing or speaking move again.

Support for the Mind: Sudden paralysis and a lengthy recovery are major causes of anxiety and depression. Support groups and counseling might be beneficial.

 How Can We Prevent GBS?

 Prevention from GBS is not possible because, As we know, GBS is an autoimmune disorder, caused by Infections, complete prevention is not possible.

However, there are tips we can take to prevent GBS :

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Maintain a healthy diet and do regular exercise daily to strengthen your immune system.
• Maintain current immunization records.
• Common surfaces including desks and tables,  telephones, and toilets should be cleaned and sanitized.
• Avoid those people who are sick with the stomach flu or other diseases.

News of Guillain-Barré Syndrome :

The number of instances of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), an uncommon neurological illness, surpassed 100 in Pune on Sunday. A probable GBS death was also recorded in Solapur. Initial unsubstantiated reports said that the victim caught the virus in Pune before travelling to Solapur.

Aside from the Solapur instance, the Maharashtra health department identified another 18 people suspected with GBS in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune rural, and a few neighboring districts. Of the 101 patients being treated at various hospitals, 16 are on ventilators. While 68 patients are male, 33 are female.

According to a state health department analysis,

19 of the 101 patients are under the age of 9,

15 are between the ages of 10 and 19,

20 are between the ages of 20 and 29,

13 are between the ages of 30 and 39,

12 are between the ages of 40 and 49,

13 are between the ages of 50 and 59,

8 are between the ages of 60 and 69,  1

1 is between the ages of 70 and 80.

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