Guillain-Barré Syndrome

DOUGH GOOD
Dec 23, 2025
2 min read

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare condition that damages the body’s nerves through the immune system. This condition typically requires treatment in medical facilities while active, with rapidly spreading symptoms and serious health effects.

How is Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosed?

Guillain-Barré syndrome is not easy to diagnose early on, as there are many symptoms depending on the person experiencing them. Additionally, these symptoms can be confused with those of other conditions. Some common diagnostic measures include nerve conduction studies, electromyography, and spinal tap, all of which relate to either measuring nerve activity or spinal canal fluid.

What are the types of Guillain-Barré syndrome?

Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP)

Characterized by muscle weakness spreading from the lower part of the body. Most common in North America and Europe.

Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS)

Characterized by eye paralysis and an unsteady walk. Most common in Asia, with some cases in the United States.

Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN) & Acute Motor-Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN)

Additional forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Common in China, Mexico, and Japan, with some cases in the United States.

Symptoms

Double vision
Low/High blood pressure
Troubled breathing
Problems with facial movements (swallowing, speaking, chewing)
Unsteady walk
Inability to walk/climb stairs
Inability to move eyes
Pins and needles sensation in fingers, wrists, ankles, toes
Weakness in legs, spreading to upper body
Rapid heart rate
Severe achy, cramp-like, or shooting pain, worsening at night
Issues with bowel function & bladder control

Treatment & recovery

There is no set cure for Guillain-Barré syndrome, but two equally effective treatments tend to aid recovery: plasmapheresis (a type of plasma exchange) and immunoglobulin therapy. The former is where plasma is removed from blood cells in the body, and then the cells are replaced. The body makes more plasma to account for the loss, helping counteract the negative effects of the immune system on the body’s nerves. The latter, immunoglobulin therapy, is where blood donors’ immunoglobulin is provided through a vein. This supplies healthy antibodies, achieving the same end product as the first treatment option.