Botulism is a disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which produces a toxic effect in the body, especially in the colon area. This bacterium enters the body through the mucous membranes of the mouth, the digestive system and open wounds and, once in the body, the blood absorbs its neurotoxin, spreading it to all organs, with potentially fatal consequences. To determine if you have botulism, you need to know the signs and symptoms and get a professional diagnosis.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Evaluate the Symptoms
Step 1. Pay attention if you experience muscle weakness or are unable to move
Muscle weakness and paralysis are common signs of this disease.
- When the body is affected by botulism it loses muscle tone.
- Usually, this feeling of weakness extends from the shoulders to the arms and down to the legs.
- Muscle weakness is one of the first symptoms that appear and can manifest itself as difficulties with speech, vision and even breathing.
- These are all symptoms caused by the toxin affecting vital organs, muscles and cranial nerves.
Step 2. Try to speak and see if you mumble words that sound confusing
Speech is involved in this disease, as the neurotoxin produced by C. botulinum can affect language centers in the brain.
- The neurotoxin affects the cranial nerves 11 and 12 which are responsible for verbal expression.
- When these nerves are affected they cause problems with speech and mouth movement.
Step 3. Look in the mirror to see if your eyelids are drooping
Ptosis (drooping of the eyelids) occurs due to the neurotoxin affecting the 3rd cranial nerve, responsible for eye, pupillary and lid movement.
Sagging eyelid can occur in one eye or both at the same time
Step 4. Breathe deeply to see if you are having trouble or shortness of breath
Breathing problems can be caused by the effects of botulism on the respiratory system.
- Botulinum neurotoxin can spread through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and enter the bloodstream, causing reduced activity of the respiratory muscles and consequently compromising gas exchange.
- This damage can cause breathing problems and respiratory failure.
Step 5. Check your vision if you notice blurry or double vision
This can occur when botulism affects the 2nd cranial nerve.
- This is the nerve responsible for the sense of sight.
- Botulinum neurotoxin can also affect this nerve, causing vision problems.
Step 6. Try swallowing to see if you have a dry mouth
Botulism also disrupts the automatic functions of the nervous system, reducing saliva production and causing dry mouth.
- This can result in a dry mouth.
- You can also notice this if you have difficulty swallowing.
Method 2 of 2: Get a Professional Diagnosis
Step 1. See your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms
Botulism is a serious disease, and it is important that you get immediate medical attention if you think you have it.
- These symptoms usually appear 18 to 36 hours after exposure to Botox.
- When you start to feel symptoms, immediate medical attention is needed.
Step 2. Undergo a physical exam to get a preliminary diagnosis
When you notice symptoms of botulism, go to the hospital right away and get examined by a doctor.
- He will visit you to confirm symptoms.
- It will also ask you if you have an open wound or if you have ingested contaminated food in the past 24 - 48 hours.
Step 3. Undergo a series of diagnostic tests to confirm the disease
There are several tests that can be done to confirm botulism that the doctor will request.
- It is important to diagnose and treat this disease early to prevent even life-threatening complications. Here are some of the diagnostic tests that are typically done:
- Analysis of blood serum and feces. A blood or stool sample is taken to determine if the toxin is present. If C. botulinum bacterium is found in the sample, you are positive for botulism.
- Tensilon test. This test is done to distinguish botulism from myasthenia gravis. In a normal Tensilon test, if you have botulism, the condition will improve for a few minutes after the administration of edrophonium chloride. While if you suffer from myasthenia gravis, you will not notice any improvement even after the administration of this substance.
- Spinal fluid examination. This analysis is done to measure the chemicals contained in the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It can help distinguish botulism from Guillain-Barre syndrome. A high presence of protein indicates positive results for botulism.
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Electromyography. This is a diagnostic test that is performed to assess the health of the muscles and nerves that control them. A thin needle is inserted into the muscle to stimulate its activity.
This procedure is done to try to figure out if muscle weakness is due to a nerve injury or due to a neurological disorder
Step 4. Get an MRI scan of the brain to rule out structural abnormalities that may be causing your symptoms
This is a painless procedure that involves the use of magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images.
- Radio waves manipulate the magnetic position of atoms and information is sent to a computer.
- The computer calculates and creates cross-sectional images of the body in black and white.
- This test can be helpful when diagnosing botulism because it detects developing and structural abnormalities, inflammatory conditions, blurry vision, and some nervous system diseases.
- It also helps confirm whether generalized muscle weakness is caused by botulism or some other brain problem, such as a stroke.
Step 5. Do an ELISA test (enzyme immunoassay)
This is a rather complex test to detect the presence of the Clostridium botulinum bacterium in the blood and can only be done by qualified professionals.
- In most cases, ELISA is performed to check for specific antibodies in the blood by linking them to an enzyme.
- The solution will take on different colors and each color indicates specific results.
- When the test is done to check for botulism, a blood draw is done, a blood sample is taken through the vein, usually on the inside of the elbow.
- The sample is then sent to the laboratory where it will be analyzed.
- The body produces specific antibodies for the toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum, which can be detected by this test.
- The result is positive when the color of the solution changes, highlighting in particular the presence of an antibody that fights the bacterium.
Step 6. Have a mouse bioassay run to confirm a safe case of botulism
This is by far the most effective test for identifying the Clostridium botulinum bacterium.
- The examination involves the use of mice as guinea pigs.
- This is a rather complex test and should only be performed by trained personnel.
- In addition to this, since the test uses mice, it should be regulated by the specific responsible authority competent in the use of animals for medical purposes.
- During the exam, your blood serum is mixed with different types of antitoxins specific to strains of the Botox bacterium and injected into the stomach of a group of mice. In most cases, 3 pairs of mice are used.
- Two pairs will be injected with specific antitoxins, while the third pair will not receive any antitoxins, only blood serum.
- Symptoms on mice will then be observed, such as possible breathing difficulties, muscle weakness, shaggy hair, changes in the shape of the body (wasp life) up to possible death.
- If symptoms are found, the test is positive for Clostridium botulinum bacterium.
