What is Post-Polio Syndrome?
Post-polio syndrome is a collection of potentially disabling signs and symptoms that present themselves many years following polio. This was a contagious viral illness that in its severe cases caused nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death.
What is Post-Polio Syndrome caused by?
Although there is no defined certainty of the cause, theories suggest that once the polio virus infects your body it affects your nerve cells called motor neurons. These neurons carry electrical impulses or messages between your brain and muscles. The infection often damages or destroys many of these motor neurons.
The remaining motor neurons develop new fibers and those that outlasted the damage enlarge. During this time muscles are recovering, but it pushes the nerve cell body to nourish the additional fibers. As time passes this may put too much stress on the neuron and cause the fibers and/or the neuron itself to deteriorate.
How is Post-Polio Syndrome Diagnosed and Treated?
In order to diagnose post-polio syndrome there are three markers a doctor will look for. The first is the individual has had a previous diagnosis of polio, this requires examining old medical records or gathering information from older family members to confirm the older diagnosis. The second is long interval after recovery from polio.
Those who survive and recover from the initial polio breakout may live for many years without any signs or symptoms. Late onset of effects of polio can vary, but typically will surface within 15 years of first diagnosis. The third is gradual onset of symptoms. Muscle weakness that develops later occurs in the muscle the were initially affected by polio. This may not be noticeable but may interfere with activities of daily living.
Resources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-polio-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355669
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-polio-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355674
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