Guillain Barre Syndrome hits ex-NFL player Danny Wuerffel: What is it?

(CBS/AP) Guillain Barre syndrome is in the news, following reports that Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel is undergoing treatment for the potentially debilitating disease.

Wuerffel, who played for Florida from 1993 to 1996 and then spent six seasons in the NFL, is getting outpatient care at an undisclosed location after being hospitalized in Montgomery, Ala., according to a spokesman for the faith-based organization with which the former quarterback works.

The spokesman said Wuerffel expects to make a full recovery from the syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the nervous system.

Guillain Barre typically strikes people between the ages of 30 and 50. Symptoms include tingling, muscle weakness, clumsiness, and paralysis. In some cases people with the condition have difficulty swallowing or breathing. In severe cases, patients must be hospitalized so they can be put on a ventilator.

Though it can't be cured, Guillain Barre can be successfully treated. One common approach is plasmapheresis. That's a process in which blood is pumped out of the body, stripped of the rogue antibodies, and then reinfused into the body.

Most people do make a complete recovery, though that can take weeks, months, or even years. Patients whose symptoms go away within three weeks are most likely to have a good outcome.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on Guillain Barre Syndrome.