Is polio an autoimmune disease?

It is believed to be an autoimmune disease -- one in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. It occurs after a mild infection, surgery or, rarely, after an immunization.

Keeping this in view, what is the life expectancy of someone with polio?

Between 5 and 10% of people who develop paralytic polio will die. Physical symptoms may return 15 years or more after the first polio infection.

Also, is polio a neurological disorder?

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is an infectious viral disease that can strike at any age and affects a person's nervous system. Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that affects polio survivors years after recovery from an initial acute attack of the poliomyelitis virus.

What causes post polio syndrome?

What causes post-polio syndrome? The cause is unknown. However, the new weakness of post-polio syndrome appears to be related to the degeneration of individual nerve terminals in the motor units that remain after the initial illness. A motor unit is a nerve cell (or neuron) and the muscle fibers it activates.

What does Polio do to muscles?

When it multiplies in the nervous system, the virus can destroy nerve cells (motor neurons) which activate skeletal muscles. These nerve cells cannot regenerate, and the affected muscles lose their function due to a lack of nervous enervation - a condition known as acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).

What are the long term effects of polio?

Causes of late effects of polio

muscle fatigue and pain due to reduced muscle tissue. pain, and sleep or breathing problems, from postural abnormalities such as scoliosis or kyphosis. increased stress on joints, leading to arthritis and pain (this may be worsened by weight gain)

What does Polio do to legs?

In less than 1% of cases, polio causes permanent paralysis of the arms, legs or breathing muscles. Between 5 and 10% of people who develop paralytic polio will die. These new symptoms are called the 'late effects of polio'. They include new muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain and fatigue.

Can a person get polio twice?

Does past infection with polio make a person immune? There are three types of polio virus. Lifelong immunity usually depends on which type of virus a person contracts. Second attacks are rare and result from infection with a polio virus of a different type than the first attack.

What causes polio in the 50's?

It was variously suggested that poliomyelitis was spread by flies, that it had been imported in second-hand clothes from the United States, where there was a high incidence of the disease, or, among other possibilities, that the outbreak was connected with pasteurised milk or with defective sewage systems.

Can polio affect you later in life?

Symptoms vary from mild, flu-like symptoms to paralysis and possibly death. People who have had polio may experience effects later in life called the late effects of polio. The late effects of polio are when physical symptoms return 15 years or more after the first polio infection.

How many polio survivors are left?

The World Health Organization estimates that 10 to 20 million polio survivors are alive worldwide, and some estimates suggest that 4 to 8 million of them may get PPS.

Is polio caused by a virus or bacteria?

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person's spinal cord, causing paralysis (can't move parts of the body).

What are the early symptoms of polio?

Signs and symptoms, which can last up to 10 days, include:

Fever.
Sore throat.
Headache.
Vomiting.
Fatigue.
Back pain or stiffness.
Neck pain or stiffness.
Pain or stiffness in the arms or legs.

Which signs are indicative of post polio syndrome?

Common signs and symptoms of post-polio syndrome include:

Progressive muscle and joint weakness and pain.
General fatigue and exhaustion with minimal activity.
Muscle atrophy.
Breathing or swallowing problems.
Sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea.
Decreased tolerance of cold temperatures.

What type of doctor treats post polio syndrome?

Physiatrists, or physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist, are physicians who are experts at diagnosing and treating pain and at maximizing function lost through injury, illness or disabling conditions through provision of non-surgical treatments, and coordinating a team approach with other physicians and

Can you recover from polio?

People with minor illness and nonparalytic forms of polio recover completely, and most people with major illness who were paralyzed also recover completely. Fewer than 25% of people with polio are disabled for life. Even though you can recover completely from polio symptoms, polio leaves behind some damage.

What are the 3 types of polio?

Polio Disease and Poliovirus. There are three wild types of poliovirus (WPV) – type 1, type 2, and type 3. People need to be protected against all three types of the virus in order to prevent polio disease and the polio vaccination is the best protection.

Is there a test for post polio syndrome?

There's no diagnostic test for post-polio syndrome. Diagnosis is based on a medical history and physical exam, and exclusion of other conditions that could cause the signs and symptoms.