Daily Health Advices

What is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)?

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which the immune system itself to a person damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last a few weeks or several months. Most people recover fully from GBS, but some suffer permanent damage to the nervous system.

There are few cases where people have died due to GBS, fatalities usually associated with respiratory problems. In the U.S., for example, an average of about 3,000 to 6,000 people each year develop GBS, whether or not they received a vaccination. This means about 1 to 2 cases of GBS per 100,000 people.

What causes GBS?

Scientists have failed to understand the causes of GBS, but it is believed that stimulation of the immune system plays a role in the development of the syndrome. This is what scientists know for sure: about two thirds of people who develop symptoms of GBS do several days or weeks after they had diarrhea or respiratory disease. Infection with Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common risk factors for GBS. People can also develop GBS after getting the flu or other infections (viruses such as cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr). Rarely, GBS develops over days or weeks after vaccination.

Who is at increased risk of developing GBS?

Anyone can get GBS, but is most common in adults than in children. The incidence of GBS increases with age and people over 50 are at higher risk of contracting GBS. Each year, on average, about 3,000 to 6,000 people in the United States develop GBS whether or not they received a vaccination, which is equivalent to 1 or 2 people per 100,000 people.

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