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Guillian Barre Syndrome. By Hunter Scott. Cause of Syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome is where the body's immune system attacks itself. Exactly what triggers Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown.
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GuillianBarre Syndrome By Hunter Scott
Cause of Syndrome • Guillain-Barre syndrome is where the body's immune system attacks itself. Exactly what triggers Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown. • It often follows a minor infection, usually a lung infection or gastrointestinal infection. Usually, signs of the original infection have disappeared before the symptoms of Guillain-Barre begin.
Symptoms • Symptoms of Guillain-Barre get worse very quickly. It may take only a few hours to reach the most severe symptoms. • Muscle weakness or the loss of muscle function (paralysis) affects both sides of the body. If the muscle weakness starts in the legs and then spreads to the arms, it is called ascending paralysis. • Patients may notice tingling, foot or hand pain, and clumsiness. As the loss of muscle function gets worse, the patient may need breathing assistance.
Area affected • Guillain-Barre syndrome causes inflammation that damages parts of nerves. This nerve damage causes tingling, muscle weakness, and paralysis. The inflammation usually affects the nerve's covering (myelin sheath). Such damage is called demyelination. Demyelination slows nerve signaling. Damage to other parts of the nerve can cause the nerve to stop working.
People Affected • The syndrome may occur at any age, but is most common in people of both sexes between ages 30 and 50.
Treatments • There is no cure for GuillianBarre Syndrome However, many treatments are available to help reduce symptoms, treat complications, and speed up recovery. • When symptoms are severe, the patient will need to go to the hospital for breathing help, treatment, and Physical Therapy. • A method called plasmapheresis is used to clean a person's blood of proteins called antibodies. Blood is taken from the body, usually from the arm, pumped into a machine that removes the antibodies, then sent back into the body. • High-dose immunoglobulin therapy is another procedure used to reduce the severity and length of Guillain-Barre symptoms.
Wed site • AARP.org