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- What is beri beri?
- Symptoms of beri beri
- Causes of beri beri
- Prevention of beri beri
- Risk factors for beri beri
- Complications of beri beri
- When to see a doctor about beri beri
- Diagnosis of beri beri
- Conventional treatment of beri beri
- Alternative/complementary treatment of beri beri
- Living with beri beri
- Caring for someone with beri beri
Caring for someone with beri beri
Partner
If your partner has beri beri, you may be able to help them through the following strategies:
- Avoid alcohol - if your partner drinks at levels that are higher than the recommended levels, you could try to let them know how the excessive alcohol consumption has led to development of beri beri, which can be serious and life threatening if not treated promptly. If this does not work well, your partner's doctor should discuss the seriousness of their condition
- Healthy diet - your partner needs to ensure they eat a healthy diet which includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes (chickpeas, beans, soya), nuts, seeds, wholegrains, some fish, poultry and red meat each week, to help reduce the risk of worsening of symptoms and to reduce possible complications
- Intravenous injections - your partner's doctor may request you help administer the vitamin B1 (thiamin) intravenous injections to reduce the visits to the doctor, if it can be performed at home. You will be given some instructions by the doctor when and how the injections should be administered
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Friends
If your friend has beri beri, you may be able to help them through the following strategies:
- Avoid alcohol - try to help your friend avoid alcohol by choosing social outings that do not include any type of alcohol (anything outdoors or sporty should be fine)
Parents
If your child has beri beri, you may be able to help them through the following strategies:
- Adequate intake of foods rich in vitamin B1 - you will need to ensure that your child has adequate intake of foods rich in vitamin B1 (thiamin) to prevent worsening of symptoms or risk of possible complications. The foods that are rich in vitamin B1 (thiamin) are: legumes (chickpeas, beans, soya), liver, nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecan nuts, walnuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), pork, wheatgerm, wholegrains
- Baby formula - if your baby has infantile beri beri and you are not breastfeeding, your doctor may recommend you use a different type of baby formula or may also recommend vitamin B1 (thiamin) supplements to reverse the condition and prevent complications
- Breastfeeding - you may be required to either receive some vitamin B1 (thiamin) intravenously or to take some in supplement (tablet) form, depending on the degree of deficiency and your own symptoms. This is the best way to prevent your baby from getting further deficient and developing worsening infantile beri beri
- Healthy diet - you need to ensure your child eats a healthy diet which includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes (chickpeas, beans, soya), nuts, seeds, wholegrains, some fish, poultry and red meat each week, to help reduce the risk of worsening of symptoms and to reduce possible complications
- Pain medication - if your child has had beri beri for a long time, which has been undiagnosed, this could lead to potential serious complications such as peripheral neuropathy (pain in the extremities), which may require pain relief medication to reduce these symptoms. You need to make sure you are aware of the dosages and timings of medication so that your child does not take too much of this type of medicine, as it can be dangerous. You also need to monitor your child's side effects from these medications and inform your child's doctor if they become too unwell
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< 11: living with beri beri Last reviewed: 3 January 2009 || Last updated: 21 January 2010
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
