Sudden Paralysis
Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare paralysis disease. The condition can come on suddenly, sometimes after an infection. The symptoms can really ruin your life.
First the explanation for that wonderful name of the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). George Charlais Guillain and Jean-Alexandre Barré are in the service of the neurological center of the French army during the First World War when they experience something remarkable. Two wounded soldiers are paralyzed and have reduced reflexes. However, further research shows that their body cells do not have the reactions that usually occur with paralysis.
Unexpected
That was unexpected for Messrs Guillain and Barré. Things get even more unexpected when both soldiers recover from their paralysis and leave the hospital on their own. The two French write directly about their experiences in the medical literature. Their names become forever associated with this paralytic disease that indeed usually occurs temporarily.
Muscles
GBS has been described as a neuromuscular disorder. That is, it is a condition that results in muscles not or insufficiently functioning. It is a rare condition: 200 to 300 people are affected by it in the Netherlands every year. It concerns both men and women of all ages who simply suffer from the symptoms. These range from muscle weakness that is barely noticed, to almost complete paralysis. Patients with Guillain-Barré Syndrome usually make a full recovery, but this can sometimes take a few years.
Cause
The cause of Guillain-Barré Syndrome is unknown, although it is certain that it is not a hereditary disease. In any case, it is clear that the body’s defense mechanism does not work properly and transmits signals in a delayed or modified manner. In about 70 percent of cases, GBS occurs after an infection such as strep throat, common cold or diarrhea.
CIDP
There is also a chronic variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. About two in ten patients develop chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, better remembered as CIDP. The big difference with the temporary GBS is that with this condition the symptoms appear more slowly but do not disappear. Patients therefore carry the consequences of the paralysis with them throughout their lives.
nerves
GBS is an inflammatory disease of the peripheral nerves. That is, it affects the nerves in the arms and legs. This not only concerns the movement nerves, but also the sensory nerves. To be clear, the motor nerves run from the spinal cord to the muscles and transmit signals to the muscles to move. The sensory nerves run from the skin, muscles and joints to the spinal cord and relay messages about the environment to the brain. Think of things like heat, cold and pain.
Symptoms
The symptoms often come on quickly and rapidly increase in severity. If the sensory nerves are damaged, this often leads to reactions in the hands and feet. Think of numbness, tingling, a ‘sleeping’ feeling, shocks and vibrations. When it comes to damage to the movement nerves, the consequences are often muscle weakness, cramps and/or paralysis.
The paralysis usually starts in the legs and then spreads to the arm muscles, respiratory muscles and facial muscles. This sometimes results in a person being temporarily unable to talk or breathe freely.
Intensive Care
What makes GBS even more annoying is that at an early stage of the disease it is impossible to predict what the course of the disease will be. If it is discovered, it is therefore usually immediately admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital. In this way, breathing and other bodily functions can be continuously monitored. In addition, a quarter of patients require artificial nutrition.
Therapy
Treatment of the disease then focuses on reducing nerve inflammation and muscle weakness and preventing complications. The most effective treatment against GBS is usually the administration of high doses of human antibodies, so-called immunoglobulins.
After a stay in hospital – the lowest point of the illness usually follows after four weeks – a rehabilitation program usually follows so that patients learn to use their muscles optimally.
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