Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Diagnosis And Treatment
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder. In this case, the patient's immune system attacks their central nervous system! Initially, patients experience numbness and tingling in their extremities. Weakness is common too! This weakness will spread. It eventually leads to paralysis! Unfortunately, there is no clear cause of this syndrome. However, many patients have reported experiencing an infection within six weeks of their symptoms appearing.
There is no cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome. The good news, however, is that there are many treatments for it! Guillain-Barre syndrome treatment involves visits to the hospital. This usually means immunoglobulin therapy for Guillain-Barre syndrome. Natural remedies are used after patients get their condition under control. The most popular is physical therapy for Guillain-Barre syndrome!
Electromyography
Electromyography tests are commonly used to diagnose Guillain-Barre syndrome. These tests help diagnose most conditions that affect an individual's nerves and muscles! These tests provide doctors with a more detailed view of the patient's muscle and nerve connections. Ultimately this test reveals if the cause is in the patient's nervous system or muscles.
An electromyography test measures motor neuron activity. These nerves are the ones that are responsible for muscle contractions! For this test, patients have needles with electrodes inserted into the affected part of their body. These electrodes record electrical activity! The machine turns the recorded pulses into graphs, and the specialist interprets the results! This test also includes a nerve conduction study. This study means that electrodes are placed on the patient's skin!
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Lumbar Puncture
A lumbar puncture removes a small amount of spinal fluid from the patient's lower back. This procedure is also called a spinal tap! The fluid is removed through a hollow needle the doctor inserted into the patient's back. They guide the needle between vertebrae until it reaches the patient's spine.
Once removed, specialists examine the spinal fluid thoroughly. They want to detect any changes! There are common changes found in the spinal fluid of Guillain-Barre syndrome patients. Doctors will also measure spinal fluid pressure with this procedure. They can rule out other disorders related to the nerves with this procedure as well.
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Immunoglobulin Therapy
Immunoglobulin therapy is a common treatment for this condition. It involves giving patients donated blood through an intravenous line! The antibodies in the patient's own blood are attacking their nerves. However, the donated blood has healthy antibodies. These healthy antibodies will block the unhealthy ones! Of course, patients need a high enough dose to achieve this effect. It is also important to note that this therapy is not a cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome. Instead, it makes symptoms of this condition much easier for patients to manage!
Immunoglobulin therapy is also offered subcutaneously. This means that the treatment is delivered through a needle to tissue below the skin! This option takes longer to administer, though it can be done at home. However, this is not common for Guillain-Barre syndrome patients. They need the immediacy that intravenous treatment provides!
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Plasmapheresis
Plasmapheresis involves doctors taking blood and blood plasma from the patient. The plasma is separated from the blood cells, and the cells are returned to the patient's body. Doctors add saline or albumin to replace the plasma before they reintroduce the blood cells.
This works because the patient will then create more plasma to replace what the procedure removed. The harmful antibodies in this syndrome are usually found in the plasma. Thus, new plasma does not always contain them! Thus, the body will not attack the nerves as much after plasmapheresis. This slows down the progression of the disease and makes symptoms more manageable!
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Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a crucial part of treating Guillain-Barre syndrome! This condition has a significant impact on a patient's strength and mobility because of the pain and possible paralysis. Physical therapy during the patient's illness helps them maintain their strength and mobility more than others. When used after the syndrome has subsided, physical therapy allows them to regain what was lost!
Doctors and caregivers should move the patient's limbs to keep their muscles flexible and strong. Patients themselves must go to physical therapy when they are able. This treatment will provide exercises to build their endurance and increase their muscle strength. It also gets rid of lingering fatigue!