This topic about Guillain Barre Syndrome is relevant for the IAS exam, as it will be asked in the General Studies segment of the exam. The notes taken from this article will be useful for aspirants.
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Brief facts about the Guillain Barre SyndromeÂ
Guillain Barre syndrome is a rare auto-immune disease that causes muscle weakness. The external nervous system is affected due to the syndrome with initial symptoms being pain and muscle symptoms that begin in the feet and hands before spreading to the upper body.
The symptoms develop over a period of a few hours to a few weeks. In this phase, the syndrome will become fatal as breathing becomes difficult since the muscles responsible for it are affected and thus requiring external assistance. Some are affected by changes in the function of the autonomic nervous system, which can lead to dangerous abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure.
The symptoms of this disease usually reflect in 2-week time. And the consequences can be life-threatening.
Guillain Barre Syndrome – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
Who is at risk for Guillain Barre Syndrome?
Gillian Barre syndrome can affect people of any age or either sex, though it is slightly more common in older people and males. In fact, the risk of getting the syndrome increases as the person grows old over time.
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What triggers Guillain Barre Syndrome?
The exact cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome is unknown to the medical fraternity. The disorder usually appears days or weeks after a major respiratory and digestive infection. On rare occasions, recent surgery or immunization can trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome. There have been instances when the recent infection by zika virus has triggered the syndrome. Therefore it is hard to narrow down a single cause of the syndrome.
Candidates can go through the relevant links for their exam preparation-
| Havana Syndrome | Acute Encephalitis Syndrome RSTV | Zoonotic Diseases |
| COVID-19 | What is a Virus? | Tuberculosis |
What are the early symptoms of Guillain Barre Syndrome?
The following are the first signs of the syndrome afflicting a person:
- A tingling or prickling sensation in your fingers and toes.
- Gradual muscle weakness in your legs that travels to your upper body and gets worse over time.
- Increasing difficulty in walking steadily.
- Moving your eyes or face, talking, chewing, or swallowing will become a strenuous task.
- Severe pain in the lower.
Is Guillain Barre contagious?
No, Guillain-Barre syndrome is not contagious. The onset of the syndrome follows a viral or bacterial infection, such as the Flu.
Can you die from Guillain Barre Syndrome?
Though the majority of people eventually recover from the syndrome, this can sometimes take a long time and around 1 in 5 people have long-term problems. The vast majority of people recover within a year.
A very small number of patients ranging from 3%–5% of Guillain-Barré syndrome die from complications, such as paralysis of the muscles that control breathing, blood infection, lung clots, or cardiac arrest.
To find out more about the general pattern of the IAS exam, visit the IAS Syllabus page. For more preparation materials they can refer to the links given in the table below:
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