Guillain-Barre Syndrome : Hype In Pune
Around 59 people in Pune have been recently affected with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system.
- Peripheral nervous system is the part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.
- It controls muscle movement, pain signals, and temperature and touch sensations.
- GBS is also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP).
- It can occur at any age, but it most commonly affects people between 30 and 50.
- The exact cause of the disease remains unclear, but it is often observed following a viral or bacterial infection, vaccination or major surgery.
- At such times, the immune system becomes hyperactive, leading to this rare condition.
- Patients often begin with an unknown fever, followed by weakness and other nervous system-related symptoms.
- It can increase in intensity over a period of hours, days, or weeks until certain muscles cannot be used at all.
- Some cases of GBS are very mild and only marked by brief weakness. Others cause nearly devastating paralysis, leaving the person unable to breathe on their own.
- There is no known cure for this syndrome.
- The most commonly used treatment is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), which is made from donated blood that contains healthy antibodies.
- This helps calm down the immune system’s attack on the nerves.
