Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Case Study

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder of rapid-onset muscle weakness as a result of damage to the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is the portion of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord. Autoimmune means an illness that occurs when the body tissues are attacked by its own immune system. In this case they begin attacking nerve cells which communicate with muscles. They attack the myelin sheaths surrounding the axons of the nerve cells. In some cases they have been known to attack the axons themselves. The first known incident of Guillain-Barre syndrome was reported in 1859 by a Frenchman named Jean Baptiste Octave Landry de Thezillat. Landry published a report after analyzing 10 patients with “ascending
It is often extremely hard for patients to adjust to sudden paralysis and dependence upon others for help with routine daily activities. Patients usually sometimes need psychological counseling to help them adapt to the sudden onset of Guillain-Barre syndrome. When it comes to how long Guillain-Barre syndrome will last is unpredictable. Guillain-Barre syndrome symptoms usually reach their maximum about the third week of the disorder and the symptoms can remain at this level for several days, weeks, or months and then they gradually get better. An individual’s strength will slowly return, but it may take up to several weeks or as long as three years. Most individuals with Guillain-Barre syndrome recover within a few months completely, although some may never regain full strength and may require surgery, physical therapy, or orthopedic appliances to correct certain problems or to even train the body to adapt to these changes. Some of the day to day activities that are affected for someone with Guillain-Barre syndrome are eating, eliminating wastes, cooking, and