Hyderabad: With one fatality reported in the city due to the Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) it is essential to understand the causes, symptoms and all there is about the disease.
GBS is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system. It can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis.
Weakness and tingling in the hands and feet are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread and may lead to paralysis. In its most serious form, Guillain-Barre syndrome is a medical emergency, most people with the condition need treatment. Neurologists in Hyderabad say that early detection is the key to preventing escalation of the syndrome.
At the time of filing this report, there were three cases of GBS and one death in Hyderabad while Pune reported 160 such cases.
What is GBS?
Defining the Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), Dr Sudir Kumar, a neurologist from Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad said, “Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a neurological disorder which occurs acutely, meaning a person who is completely healthy may reflect symptoms of the disorder.”
Speaking of the disease’s symptoms the doctor said that it begins with weakness in the legs and the weakness can worsen in a matter of hours or days. The infected people may experience severe pain in their hands at the initial stage.
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Symptoms of GBS
As the GBS advances, it may also cause breathing issues and difficulty in swallowing the food. “Minor symptoms may include a tingling sensation, numbness and pain in the legs,” the neurologist added.
The symptoms begin to show one or two weeks after entering the body. In certain cases, these symptoms may be negligible. “Every vaccine such as MMR, measles, polio or the recent vaccines against COVID-19 are known to trigger GBS. This is a rare syndrome. If 1000 people get infections, one of them is likely to be affected by GBS,” Kumar explained.
Causes of GBS
Addressing the causes of the syndrome, Kumar said that the disease is related to the immune system. The doctor told Siasat.com that when a person gets infections like the common cold, viral fever or gut infections including diarrhoea or gastroenteritis, the body tries to fight those infections by producing antibodies.
In some cases, the antibodies fighting the infection become abnormal and begin attacking the nervous system. Hence GBS is also known as auto-immune disease.
Elaborating on GBS, a Neurologist from Srikara Hospital in Hyderabad, Dr Imran, said, “It is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nerves out of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.”
If a person has a history of respiratory tract infection, antibodies are produced by the immune system to fight the same. However, in case the person suffers from GBS, the antibodies confuse the nervous system with the bacteria due to molecular mimicry.
“The peripheral nerves are like micro currents and if these are attacked, there will be no information passing from the brain to the peripheral organs causing paralysis and loss of sensation,” he explained.
Preventive measures
Listing the preventive measures against the syndrome, the doctor said that one must stay protected against respiratory infections. “You can’t prevent GBS directly, it can be prevented by guarding ourselves against respiratory issues,” he added.
The two doctors stressed that GBS is not a new phenomenon stating that the syndrome has been active in India since the early 2000s. They suggested the general public go for a check-up if they experience the aforementioned symptoms adding that early detection could help prevent the GBS.
Telangana reports first death due to GBS
A woman from Telangana’s Siddipet district died due to Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) on Sunday, February 9 at a hospital in Hyderabad.
This is the first case of death due to GBS in Telangana. As of February 6, there were four cases of GBS in Telangana. The neurological disorder first appeared in Maharashtra.
Woman dies of Guillain Barre Syndrome in Hyderabad, 1st in Telangana
The woman was reportedly on ventilator support since January 31 at a private hospital and was in critical condition. Unable to afford the expensive treatment costs, which included ventilator support in the ICU, the woman’s relatives had shifted her to a few private hospitals before she died due to the disease.
