Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Everything you need to know

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare serious autoimmune disease which affects the nervous system. It can cause muscle weakness, loss of reflexes and numbness or tingling in parts of the body; causing paralysis. Infact 85% patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome make a full recovery within 6 to 12 months. Once you recover, the chance of a recurrence is less.

Causes

Guillain-Barre syndrome can happen to anyone 30 years old or older; its exact cause is unknown. But two-thirds of patients report symptoms of an infection in the six weeks preceding. No one’s sure if virus, like the Zika virus, EBV, CMV virus causes Guillain-Barre syndrome. It could be that some illnesses alter your nerve cells, so your immune system starts to consider them as threats and get activated.

There's no known cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome but several treatments can ease the symptoms and reduce the duration of the illness. Although most people recover completely from Guillain-Barre syndrome, but some severe cases are fatal. Recovery may take up to several years while some people have lasting effects from it, such as weakness, numbness or fatigue.

Types

Guillain-Barre syndrome has several forms. The main types are:

Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP)

the most common sign of AIDP is muscle weakness which starts in the lower part of the body and spreads upwards.

Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS)

in which paralysis starts in the eyes and this is also associated with unsteady gait.

Symptoms

GBS strikes quickly; often beginning with tingling and weakness first in your feet and legs and next spreading to the upper body and arms. Some people notice the first symptoms in the arms or face. As Guillain-Barre syndrome progresses, muscle weakness can turn into paralysis.

Signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome may include:

A pins and needles sensation in your fingers, toes, ankles or wrists

Weakness in your legs that spreads to your upper body

Pain all over the body

Difficulty in speaking, chewing or swallowing

Double vision due to weakness in the eye muscles

Deviation of face to one side

Severe pain that may be shooting or cramp like and may be worse at night

Difficulty in breathing

Rapid heart rate

Low or high blood pressure

After 3 weeks, when the symptoms have peaked most people are very weak. Anyone with these symptoms needs urgent medical attention as breathing and cardiovascular changes can be life threatening.

Treatment

If your doctor thinks you have Guillain-Barre Syndrome, they will give you a test to measure how well your muscles and nerves work. You may also require cerebrospinal fluid examination. A doctor inserts a needle into your lower back and takes a small amount of spinal fluid. They’ll check the protein level; it’s high in people with Guillain-Barre syndrome. Noninvasive investigation like NCV is also required to be done.

When to visit FirstCure Health

Visit FirstCure Health if you have mild tingling in the toes or fingers that seems to be spreading or getting worse. Immediately seek emergency help if you have any of these severe symptoms:

Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath

Tingling that started in the feet or toes and is moving up the body

Tingling or weakness that's spreading rapidly

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a serious condition that requires immediate hospitalization because it can worsen rapidly. The sooner appropriate treatment is started, the better the chance of a good outcome.