Guarding Against Guillain-Barre Syndrome
It started with numbness in the hands then the feeling spread to your feet. You wake up the next day where your hands and feet feel numb and tingly. You also feel weak on your left side. Before these feelings started, you had a bad case of diarrhea. You could have Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a neurological condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, called the peripheral nervous system. The antibodies damage the outside of the nerve, a fatty substance called the myelin sheath that increases the speed at which signals travel along the nerves.
Guillain-Barre syndrome causes a progressive loss of function over three to five weeks, rendering patients nearly paralyzed in their arms, legs, upper body and face before the condition plateaus and improvement begins. The illness often occurs after a bacterial or viral infection, such as the flu or diarrhea. Because the cause is unknown, there is no way to prevent it from occurring.
Guillain-Barre syndrome manifests in many different ways, but the symptoms generally begin with back pain and a feeling of tightness and tingling in the lower legs. One or two days later, weakness develops in the legs—so much so that getting up from a chair or walking up the stairs can be difficult. Weakness then can develop in the mouth, throat and face, causing difficulty talking and eating. Weakness can also develop in the eyes, causing altered vision.
When the muscles used to breathe are involved, progressive shortness of breath develops, with a minority of patients hospitalized for Guillain-Barre syndrome, needing a respirator. In a majority of patients, Guillain-Barre syndrome can also affect the nerves that go to the heart, blood vessels, bladder and the intestines, leading to abnormal heart, bowel and bladder function.
Diagnosis relies largely on a person’s symptoms. However, blood tests to measure red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin and metabolic panels to determine levels of electrolytes, blood sugar, total proteins and metabolic waste products, may be used to rule out other conditions. Guillain-Barre syndrome can cause certain changes to spinal fluid, so a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, may be ordered.
There is no known cure, so treatment consists of addressing existing symptoms, which is known as supportive care. This includes blood therapies such as plasma exchange, or plasmapheresis, which “cleans” the blood or immunoglobin therapy, which uses antibodies to try to calm the immune system. Patients often experience significant pain, which can be eased with medication. Since prolonged inactivity can lead to blood clots, compression garments and blood thinners are prescribed often.
Those in their 50s are at the peak for developing the disease, although infants as young as 3 months have been diagnosed. Most patients recover completely. But it can be a gradual process. A lucky few are up and about in just a few months, but the majority of patients take about a year to fully recuperate. It’s also possible for recovery to take several years.
Guillain-Barre syndrome can be a debilitating disease. There is nothing that can be done to prevent it. But addressing the symptoms right away can be a game changer in terms of a decent recovery.
