What are the long-term effects of polio?

Post-polio syndrome is rarely life-threatening, but severe muscle weakness can lead to complications:

  • Falls. Weakness in your leg muscles makes it easier for you to lose your balance and fall.
  • Fatigue.
  • Pain.
  • Malnutrition, dehydration and pneumonia.
  • Chronic respiratory failure.
  • Osteoporosis.
  • Sleep disorders.

Were there any long-term effects of the polio vaccine?

Their analysis show that exposure to the vaccine against polio doesn’t seem to have any long-term effect on adult income, educational achievement, or health, and the authors attribute this lack of effect to the apparent non-scarring nature of exposure to polio epidemics.

Can you fully recover from polio?

How Long Does Polio Last? People who have milder polio symptoms usually make a full recovery within 1–2 weeks. People whose symptoms are more severe can be weak or paralyzed for life, and some may die. After recovery, a few people might develop “post-polio syndrome” as long as 30–40 years after their initial illness.

Can polio cause heart problems later in life?

Previous studies on cardiovascular risk factors in the post-polio syndrome have found a higher prevalence of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidaemia, and stroke in these patients.

How quickly does polio affect the body?

Paralytic syndrome Initial signs and symptoms of paralytic polio, such as fever and headache, often mimic those of nonparalytic polio. Within a week, however, other signs and symptoms appear, including: Loss of reflexes. Severe muscle aches or weakness.

What are the short and long term 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)

Can you still get polio after being vaccinated?

People with certain immune problems can catch the disease from a child who has recently been vaccinated with oral polio vaccine. This type of vaccine is no longer used in the U.S.

Do you have polio for life?

Symptoms vary from mild flu-like symptoms to life-threatening paralysis. 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. Physical symptoms may emerge 15 years or more after the first polio infection.

How long did polio patients stay in iron lung?

Polio epidemic A polio patient with a paralyzed diaphragm would typically spend two weeks inside an iron lung while recovering.

What body system does polio affect?

Polio is a viral disease that affects the nervous system, causing paralysis. It spreads through direct contact with people who have the infection.

How does polio affect the body?

Polio is a viral disease which may affect the spinal cord causing muscle weakness and paralysis. The polio virus enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person. Polio is more common in infants and young children and occurs under conditions of poor hygiene.