Fortunately, the symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome can pass, and even severe cases have made good recoveries, albeit some with continued weakness in certain areas.

Guillain-Barre doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone at any age and of either sex, but the good news is that it’s so rare. It typically strikes after a patient has gastrointestinal or respiratory infection symptoms -- with the onset occurring anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after those diseases have seemingly passed. There is some evidence that certain vaccinations can increase the risk of having a Guillain-Barre attack.

When Guillain-Barre does strike, most people will be at the stage of greatest weakest within two weeks after the first symptoms appear, continuing into the third week of the symptoms’ appearance.

CAUSES OF GUILLAIN-BARRE

To date, there is no evidence that pinpoints exactly what causes Guillain-Barre syndrome. It is not contagious, but there is no clear indication of what triggers it and why it strikes some people and not others.

What researchers do know is that Guillain-Barre is an autoimmune disease, which causes the body’s immune system to begin attacking healthy people instead of invading bacteria or viruses. But in Guillain-Barre, the myelin sheath that surrounds the axons of peripheral nerves, and sometimes the axons themselves, are destroyed, cutting off nerve signals that cause body parts to fire. This injury or degradation means the signals that govern important body functions are cut off and can’t respond to brain commands. As the brain receives fewer signals, it loses its ability to feel heat, pain, textures and other sensations.

In the alternative, a sensation of crawling items, tingling or pain may be felt, usually hitting the extremities because they are further from the brain.