What is Post-Polio Syndrome?
The disease known as Polio is an acute viral infection that arises from invasion of the poliomyelitis virus1. The virus affects the central nervous system typically infecting and destroying motor neurons and in it’s most severe form, can cause paralysis and death due to immobilization of the muscles for breathing1. The disease mainly affects children under the age of 5 years and is spread person-to-person mainly through fecal matter1. Since the introduction of the polio vaccine in 1955, this disease has been eradicated globally2. Post Polio syndrome is a condition that affects survivors decades after the initial polio infection 2. The most common symptoms include:
Who is at risk for developing PPS? Although the polio infection is contagious, PPS is not. Only survivors of polio can develop this condition2. The relative risk of developing PPS is usually determined by the severity of disability during the initial infection2. For example, if a person had severe symptoms during the initial polio infection, then they are more likely have to develop severe PPS symptoms, with greater muscles weakness, fatigue, and atrophy. For a more in depth description of PPS visit: http://www.post-polio.org/edu/pps.html |