We all hope for our children to be healthy. Unfortunately, some children do experience issues that go beyond a cold or flu.
Sometimes, symptoms emerge, and a parent doesn’t know why or what to do. If your child is showing symptoms of PANS or PANDAS, there are several ways to help.
What are PANS and PANDAS?
PANS stands for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome.
PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections
Approximately 1 in 200 children will be impacted by PANS and PANDAS. Boys are 2.5 to 4.7 times more likely than girls to develop PANS/PANDAS. Both syndromes involve neuropsychiatric changes triggered by infections and/or toxins.
When PANS/PANDAS manifests, a healthy, fully functional child will decline quickly. That child’s body has been weakened by the harmful external and internal environment, and it becomes difficult to ward off opportunistic infections.
Both syndromes cause inflammation in the brain and disrupt normal neurologic functioning.
The onset of PANS and PANDAS differ. PANDAS manifests after the child recovers from a Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infection. PANS occurs in PANDAS-like cases in which strep was not involved. Toxins or microbes involved in PANS include:
- Babesia
- Bartonella
- Borrelia (Lyme disease)
- Common cold virus
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Influenza A
- Mycoplasma
- Varicella (chickenpox)
Environmental triggers can initiate PANS and PANDAS including:
- Biotoxin exposure
- Environmental chemicals
- Heavy metals
- Mold toxins
- Pesticides
- Radioactive elements
Signs and symptoms of PANS and PANDAS
While each condition is caused by different factors, they present the same way clinically. Healthy, fully-functioning children experience rapid transformation and decline. Many of the PANS and PANDAS symptoms manifest over several days or weeks. These include
- ADHD
- Aggression
- Bed-wetting
- Behavioral regression
- Brain fog
- Clingy/needy behavior
- Eating disorders
- Frequent urination
- Hallucinations
- Hyperactivity
- Inattentiveness
- Involuntary body movements
- Mood swings
- Motor tics
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Rage outbursts
- Random noises such as growling, gurgling, moaning, squeaking, squealing
- Rapid academic decline (math and handwriting skills)
- Sensory hypersensitivity or insensitivity
- Separation anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Suicidal ideation
- Trouble with school
- Urinary issues
These factors will typically result in a diagnosis of PANS/PANDAS:
- An association with strep infection (PANDAS)
- An abrupt onset of symptoms or a flare-up of symptoms, followed by a period of recovery then relapse
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms (including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, OCD behavior, tics, uncontrolled anger, etc.)
- Onset before puberty
Autoimmune and inflammatory involvement in children with PANS/PANDAS
With PANS/PANDAS, the immune system dysfunctions and produces autoantibodies. These attack harmful microbes. However, they also attack healthy receptors and other areas in the brain. The immune system cannot differentiate between healthy body tissue and a molecule from an infectious agent. It attacks the healthy body tissues. This mistaken attack results in the abrupt onset of symptoms and brain inflammation.
Children with PANS/PANDAS are frequently misdiagnosed with a psychiatric illness, leading to psychiatric drug treatments to manage symptoms. However, this ignores the root cause: the infection-triggered autoimmune inflammatory condition.
A comprehensive healing approach
Typically, a child with PANDAS has several issues. The strep infection isn’t the only root cause. There are many toxic and pathogenic threats facing a child every day. Sometimes their small, developing bodies cannot handle the assault.
The following issues can overburden a child’s body:
- Bacteria — Streptococcal infection (strep throat or scarlet fever) can be a major contributing factor to the onset of PANS/PANDAS.
Environmental toxins — There can be environmental triggers in PANS/PANDAS, such as exposure to chemicals or mold. - Glyphosate — This harmful toxin found in weed killer can have a detrimental effect on the nervous system and may be a contributing factor to PANS/PANDAS.
- Heavy metals — Heavy metals have been found in blood tests in children with this disorder, making it a possible cause or contributing factor.
- Nutrient-depleted soil— There are many triggers for this disorder. Lack of nutrients is one, either because of foods grown in nutrient-depleted soil, or by refusal to eat. Either way, the child’s health can suffer.
- Parasites — Studies show a direct link between parasitic infection and childhood brain function, making it a possible contributing factor to PANS/PANDAS. Parasitic infection can affect the central nervous system, and can cause cognitive abnormalities, headaches, inflammation, and seizures.
- Radioactive elements — Because the onset of PANS/PANDAS presents in differing ways, exposure to radioactive elements should not be overlooked as a potential cause due to radiation’s negative effect on the nervous system.
- Viruses — Viruses, such as Epstein-Barr and influenza, have been shown to be associated with PANS/PANDAS. These viruses can add to the symptoms and complications of PANS/PANDAS. Toxicity in the body plays a critical role in triggering these syndromes.
Final thoughts
If your child is experiencing PANS/PANDAS, it is crucial to work with a functional medicine doctor to help eliminate toxins and restore your child’s health. A comprehensive approach to addressing PANS and PANDAS includes: 1. Eliminating the underlying infectious agent 2. Controlling the overactive immune response that triggers inflammation and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Opening the child’s drainage pathways and bolstering the body with herbs, binders, and nutritional supplements are important first steps. By increasing energy in the body through mitochondrial support, the mitochondria can then carry out important functions vital to the health of your child. Once you lower the pathogenic threats, toxic body burden, and inflammation, your child’s immune system can self-regulate and regain its healthy function.