Guillain-Barre Syndrome

What is guillain-barre syndrome?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder concerning the body’s immune and the peripheral nervous system, which is all your nerves outside of the brain and the spinal cord (Ninds.nih.gov, 2019). 

causes

As with many conditions, science has not been funded enough to understand whey GBS occurs, so cause is unknown, (Ninds.nih.gov, 2019). Here are the theories of what can cause this condition:-

1.  Abnormal immune response, which may be referred to as an auto immune response (AI) due to a preceding viral infection. Antibodies are formed against the possible virus that cross react with the glycolipids in the myelin (the insulating protective sheath around your nerve), whose role it is to maintain the membrane of the cell and facilitate cellular recognition. It is thought that 75% are triggered by an infection that happens just before diagnosis that was to do with the Gastro-Intestinal Tract, a GIT infection, or a respiratory infection
2. This viral infection can be caused by immunisation, so consider any flu jabs that might have been given, or other injections.
3. Also consider EBV virus too, which is common in many people and hides in the body until the immune is weakened and can then come out and do its damage.

signs and symptoms

Look out for the following symptoms to see if this condition is affecting your or your loved one, if you have any of the following treat it as a MEDICAL EMERGENCY, Red Flag syndrome

• Ascending paralysis that can be sudden, progressive and bilateral
• A burning or prickling sensation known as paraesthesia
• You may feel sensory changes like pain and temperature changes
• Local inflammation to the affected area
• Accumulated lymphocytes (an emigration of immune cells from blood to nerve tissue) (3), demyelination & axon destruction occurs on your neves
• Neuropathic pain, which is a pain from a non-painful stimuli, such as into the legs 

diagnosis 

Diagnosis is usually with nerve conduction studies (NCS). This involves is a medical diagnostic test commonly used to evaluate the function of the peripheral nerves, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the body.

You may also be offered a lumbar puncture, which is test that can be used to test your lymphoma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), in case the condition is heading to the central nervous system.

And antibodies as outlined below.

COMPLICATIONS

30% of people with GBS experience a residual (remaining) weakness.

There are complications if you can not swallow properly or if your respiration is affected, this is considered a life-threatening situation. It can be rapid over a few hours or build up over days, 

In very severe cases death by heart failure or respiratory failure can occur. This is a RED FLAG syndrome.

what your doctor will offer you

Terms that your doctor may talk about for GBS is that it is a post-infectious polyneuritis and and acute idiopathic polyneuropathy.  Also that it could be an acute infectious polyradiculoneuritis. To sum this up it means that it is an inflammatory condition of the peripheral nervous system as explained more clearly in the “What is GBS” section above. 

What the doctor may offer is 

1. A ventilator to help you to breath easier.

2. Immunoglobulin therapy, which is a blood-based treatment that contains antibodies to help to fight the infection or 

3. Plasmapheresis, which is a process that filters the blood and removes harmful antibodies from the plasma portion of the blood (a procedure similar to dialysis).

These treatments if caught early enough will help to shorten the acute period and can hasten recovery 

You should also be offered 

1. Physiotherapy

2. Occupational therapy

3. Respiratory therapy

These kinds of supportive treatment can be vital to maximise the fully functioning immune system and the perpheral nervous system. 

Get educated!

This condition can affect any one of us. So make sure you are aware of this condition. But as we always say at Ultimate Health prevention is better than waiting to get sick! So why not help your body to have regular breaks. That is what we help with here at Ultimate Health. Regular breaks so that your body can heal and repair, stay strong and balance out your hormones. Supplying your body with all the nutrients it needs to protect your myelin sheaths around our nerves and reduce your risk drastically of getting conditions like this.

Key areas to help yourself with with Guillain-Barre Syndrome are to:-

1. Detox and give your body a break
2. Seek professional help on how to prevent and reverse conditions like GBS
3.  Support your immune, if this is a virus issue you will want to boost your immune and protect your brain. So Vitamin B6 to support Glutamine and GABA
4. Vitamin D to support the production of myelin
5. Vitamin B12 which is a co-factor in myelin formation and boost the immune

A big part of why the body is here in the first place could be a weakend immune. So you may want to consider a reboot and look to give your body a break. Regular breaks so that you give your body the best chance to heal.

Take the next step to prevent illnesses & health issues,

Join Ultimate Health, Your Journey Starts Here!

At Ultimate Health we look for prevention and treating the cause. We always start by wiping the slate clean with a Reboot and then looking to help support your body to heal using natural proven principles. Naturopathic solutions and a protocol that supports your body and every system that it runs. We help you to manage the many multifunctional influences that can cause conditions like this in the first place. Detoxification is key, as well as reducing internal inflammation, getting conscious about your health and finding out what is actually healthy for you.  If you need a map we have the One Clear Path to support your entire journey to your Ultimate Health.

Here are the Pathways we use to support you:

1. Detoxification & Immune support
2. Group Support
3. One to One consultations
4. Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet
5. Meal Plans that are done for you
6. Education on the Real Truth about What is Actually Healthy, not just what the media tells you is “Healthy“.

References

1. Ninds.nih.gov. (2019). Guillain-Barré Syndrome Fact Sheet | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. [online] Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Guillain-Barr%C3%A9-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet [Accessed 31 May 2019].

2. Hubert, R. and VanMeter, K. (n.d.). Gould’s pathophysiology for the health professions.

3. College of Naturopathic Medicine – Biomedicine training