Polio (PPS): Symptoms & Treatment

 Poliomyelitis, often called polio, is a viral paralytic disease. The cause of the disease is one virus called poliovirus which enters the body orally and infects the intestinal wall. Not only that- big problem is that this virus may proceed to the blood stream and into the central nervous system causing muscle weakness and often paralysis. Luckily- eradication efforts led by the World Health Organization have reduced the number of annual diagnosed cases from the hundreds of thousands to around a thousand. There is also one medical entity called PPS or Post-Polio syndrome! Post-Polio Syndrome is a condition that can strike polio survivors anywhere from 10 to 40 years after recovery from an initial attack of polio. Historical fact is that in the US, the last case of "wild" polio (naturally circulating polio that is not caused by the oral polio vaccine) was in 1979 and, except some occasional importations, all cases of paralytic polio since then have been caused by the oral polio vaccine.  

Spreading and paths of infection

Symptoms of polio infection

• A mild form called Abortive polio. Several researches done in the past have came to the data that most people with this form of polio may not even suspect they have it because their condition is limited to mild flu-like symptoms such as mild upper respiratory infection, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, etc…
• A more serious form associated with aseptic meningitis called Nonparalytic polio. It is found that 1% to 5% of these patients show neurological symptoms such as sensitivity to light and neck stiffness
• A severe-most serious and debilitating form called Paralytic polio and it occurs in 0.1% to 2% of cases. In paralytic polio, the virus leaves the intestinal tract and enters the bloodstream, attacking the nerves. The virus may affect the nerves that control the muscles in the limbs and the muscles necessary for breathing, causing respiratory difficulty and paralysis of the arms and legs.

Bulbar polio

Post-Polio syndrome

1. The first theory is saying that the polio virus reactivates it self again after decades of lying dormant in the patient’s cells. It is still uncertain what activates it.  
2. The second possibility is the evidence of disbalances in the production of various hormones and neurotransmitters in brain.
3. The third theory is saying that the nerve cells that were undamaged or partly damaged took over the functions of the dead cells, so-these nerve cells not only had to do their job, but the job of the damaged cells. Over time, these cells become overworked and lead to polio-like symptoms.

Incidence of the condition

Symptoms

• Fatigue
• Exhaustion
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle atrophy (stiffening)
• Painful joints and muscles
• Low back pain
• Sensitivity to cold and heat
• Sleep disorders
• Difficult breathing and/or swallowing
• Muscle twitching

Treatment

Proven strategies

• If the person is experiencing increasing muscle weakness, exercise may be needed. Please consult your doctor.
• Eat a well-balanced diet
• Be alert to the changes in the body
• Take note of any new symptoms or any clear or gradual changes
• Take time to sleep enough
• Pace yourself
• Use medical equipment such as canes or crutches or other adaptive medical equipment to ensure that you do not fall
• Avoid weight gain
• Minimize alcohol use
• Take common colds very seriously
• Get regular checkups with emphasis on the major areas affected by the polio: neuromuscular, circulatory and respiratory, as well as, muscle strength evaluations
• Discontinue any exercise that causes pain, weakness or muscle fatigue
• Know your own strengths and limits
• Get involved or continue with physical therapy

Prevention

Polio complications