Post-polio syndrome
Post-polio syndrome includes a set of potentially life-threatening symptoms and signs that develop on average 30-40 years after contracting polio.
Polio was once a very dangerous and widespread disease that caused paralysis and pain. Polio cases peaked in the 1950s, when the inactivated polio vaccine was invented and the disease stopped spreading.
Nowadays, the incidence of poliomyelitis in developed countries is very low, thanks to the vaccine. Some studies show that nearly half of those who get polio at a young age experience some kind of after-effect many years later, called post-polio syndrome.
No one knows exactly what causes the symptoms of post-polio syndrome after so many years Today, according to the most accepted theory, post-polio syndrome is caused by the degeneration of nerve cells
When the polio virus enters the body, it damages the motor neurons, especially in the spinal cord. Motor nerves transmit signals between the brain and muscles
Each neuron consists of these parts:
- Cell body
- Main branch - axon
- Many small branches - dendrites
Poliovirus often damages motor neurons To compensate, as the number of neurons decreases, the remaining neurons make extra branches and fibers, and the units of the surviving neurons increase in size.
This leads to better muscle work, but it also develops excessive stress, a load on the bodies of existing neurons, from which new branches are fed. Over the years, this stress strains the neuron, causing progressive damage to new branches and degeneration of the neuron
Symptoms of post-polio syndrome include:
- Muscle and joint weakness, pain
- General fatigue, lethargy, even with minimal activity
- Muscle atrophy
- Swallowing or breathing problems
- Sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnea
When to consult a doctor
If you notice weakness, fatigue that gradually worsens, consult a doctor It is necessary to exclude all other causes that cause similar symptoms and signs Other causes have different treatments than post-polio syndrome
