Disease Diary Blog: Nervous System - Guillain-Barre Syndrome

http://www.umm.edu/nervous/guillain.htm

Disease - Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Common Name - Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or GBS

Age of Onset- There is no exact age of onset, all cases of GBS involve a sudden, unexpected onset of the disease.

Duration - Like age of onset, there is no particular duration of GBS, some people recover from GBS within months, while for others it may take years.

Common in particular groups? GBS most often occurs in the elderly and young adults and AIDS victims. People with weak immune systems seem to be at a higher risk for GBS.

Cause- The exact cause of GBS is not yet known, because it is such a rare disease (affecting only 1 in 100,000) scientists have yet to conduct very in depth analysis of the disease. Some studies show that certain respiratory or digestive infections have lead to the disease, however some cases of the disease without any triggers. In GBS, the patients immune system, which usually attacks foreign bodies, unexpectedly begins to attack the nervous system. It attacks the axons and the thin sheath that surrounds it and sometimes destroys the axon all together. With the damaged nerve, the patient may experience weakness, numbness, and paralysis.

Symptoms - GBS symptoms begin with a numbness and tingling starting usually at the feet and progressively moved toward the head. As the disease progresses, paralysis may occur. Other symptoms are:

• Difficulty with eye movement, facial movement, speaking, chewing or swallowing
• Severe pain in the lower back
• Difficulty with bladder control or intestinal functions
• Very slow heart rate or low blood pressure
• Difficulty breathing

Prognosis - GBS is not usually a life-threatening disease (very rarely, the disease affects the muscles that control breathing, causing death). A spinal tap is inserted into the spine to draw spinal fluid to recognize the disease, as it may be hard to diagnose in its earliest stages. Once diagnosed, the patient begins to feel symptoms on both sides of their bodies and lose their basic reflexes. It is then that the patient is given the known therapies and the symptoms begin to diminish. Once the patient has regained their strength, they attend physical therapy to help them remain strong to live with GBS.

Treatment Options- There is no cure for GBS. However, there are some therapies that have been developed to help lessen the severity of the patients symptoms. One therapy that is used is Plasmapheresis, this treatment is a type of "blood cleansing" in which damaging antibodies are removed from your blood. Without these antibodies in your blood, the nervous systems is less likely to be attacked by the immune system. Another treatment option is the use of intravenous immunoglobulin, this contains healthy antibodies from blood donors, and high doses can block the dangerous antibodies produced by GBS.

Homeostatic Imbalances of the Skeletal System: Gout

Disease: Gout
Common Name: Gout
Age of Onset: There is no exact age of onset for Gout. Gout is a disease that can affect any person, male or female, of any age.
Duration: There is not an exact period of time during which the disease occurs. When one contracts the disease, is more easily characterized by flare ups, which can occur weekly, monthly, or even annually. Pain from Gout flare ups, in untreated, can last for up to 10 days.
Common in Males/Females? Because Gout is characterized by the formation of urate crystals in and and around the joints, an individual with more uric acid in their blood would be more susceptible to Gout. Since men have higher uric acid levels in their blood, they are more likely to have Gout. However, after menopause, the uric acid levels in women begin to approach those of men, making them more susceptible to this disease. Gout it often found in the obese and those who abuse alcohol.
Cause: Gout is caused byt the formation or urate crystals around joints in one's body. Urate crystals are formed by excess uric acid in the blood. Often in genetic cases of Gout, the body naturally produces excess uric acid, which can lead to Gout as a young child. Also, improper kidney function often plays a major role in Gout because the kidneys fail to rid the body of the excess acid. Over consumption of purine containing foods such as mushrooms, anchovies, and asparagus can also lead to some forms of Gout. The body breaks down purines into uric acid in the digestive process.
Symptoms: Symptoms of Gout are very easily recognizible. One may feel intense, acute joint pain, accompanied by swelling and redness of the area. Gout usually attacks the large joints in the body and the symptoms usually occur at night.
Prognosis: Gout is not a life-threating disease. Often in those who's body naturally produces high levels of uric acid, it is possible to live with and manage the disease -keeping flare-ups to a minimum. However painful Gout can be, it is not life-threating and is managable.
Treatment: There are no drugs that will simply cure Gout. There are, however, several medications that can be used to help manage the pain associated with this disease. NSAID pain relievers such as Ibuprofen work to help control join inflammation and pain associated with Gout. Steroids also effectivly work to control the inflammation of Gout however have more negative side affects such as decreased immune function and thinning bones.

Homeostatic Imbalances of the Integumentary System

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/smallpox

Disease: Variola Virus

Common Name: Smallpox

Age of Onset: There is no exact age of onset of Smallpox. Any age group that comes in direct contact with the disease may be affected by it.

Duration: After direct contact with the Small virus, there is a 7 to 17 day incubation period in which the carrier shows no signs or symptoms of the disease. After this incubation period, the life of the disease begins. With proper treatment, the duration of the disease is 6 days.

Common in Males/Females? The Smallpox virus does not differentiate between males, females, or any ethnic group. The virus affects all equally, regardless of gender or ethnic background. However, pregnant women and small children are more succeptible to this disease.

Cause: Smallpox is caused by the Variola virus. Through massive immunization efforts, the Variola virus has almost been completely eliminated. Smallpox is caused by the inhalation of the virus particles into the lungs. It is one of the only viruses that does not need to penetrate the nucleus of the cell in order to replicate itself. The virus begins in the lungs, but quickly enters the blood stream and them spreads to the entire Integumentary system, causing massive damage.

Symptoms: People who have come in contact with the virus, often show signs of fever, body aches, headaches, chills, and bachaches. A rash appears about 48 hours after the initial symptoms occur. Once the rash appears, the virus is extremely contageous. The rash will spread and puss filled lesions begin to appear all over the body. After 6 days the lesions begin to scab over.

Prognosis: After the incubation period, the initial symptoms include body aches and a high fever, usually ranging from 101 to 104 degrees Farenheit. The fever usually last 2-4 days, after which firm, puss filled lesions appear all-over the body. Around day 6, the lesions begin to scab over. The virus is contageous from the first sign of any rashes or lesions until the last scab falls off of the body. Due in part to invances in modern medicine, the mortality rate of smallpox is only 30%.

Treatment: Once one has become infected with the virus, there is no specific treatment that can performed to shorten the life-span of the disease. The only real way of treating this disease is by not getting it at all through a successful vaccine. The vaccine has successfully eliminated the smallpox viruses throughout the world. The last reported natural case of Smallpox was over 30 years ago in 1977.