{"id":8123,"date":"2019-07-15T10:26:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T10:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=8123"},"modified":"2021-04-20T16:45:25","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T16:45:25","slug":"14-typical-symptoms-of-polio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-typical-symptoms-of-polio\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Typical Symptoms of Polio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Polio (also called poliomyelitis) is a health condition that still affects a small handful of people over the world every year, and even though there are many countries who have already completely eradicated the disease, you could still be placed at risk if you have never been fully vaccinated against the poliovirus, if you have a compromised immune system that puts you at increased risk or if you come into direct contact with the poliovirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you suspect that you might have contracted polio, you should make an appointment with your doctor even if you aren\u2019t showing any symptoms at all, or if you are showing only some of the symptoms on this list. Yes, polio can be considered infectious, and if you don\u2019t get tested for it then you could be placing people around you at further risk, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 8 typical symptoms of polio that you should know about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Nerve Damage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Polio <\/a>once used to be considered one of the most serious and potentially fatal health conditions, and nerve damage remains one of the most serious potential symptoms of the condition. The nerve damage might start to show in the early phases of the disease, and it can progress throughout the rest of the body in a matter of days, where it can cause partial to complete paralysis of the body \u2013 and this is where a lot of the danger lies when it comes to polio infection.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In surviving cases of polio, the sustained nerve damage because of the initial infection often sticks around as a lifelong symptom, but it can also often be treated with the use of medication prescribed to treat nerve damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms of nerve damage in the beginning stages can include \u201cghost\u201d sensations, burning or tingling, and might also include episodes of surface numbness that come and go at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Muscle Stiffness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Muscle stiffness <\/a>is something that happens to everyone every once in a while, but when it starts to become a serious and recurring (or permanent) symptom, then you should make an appointment with your doctor to find the cause. When the muscles are placed under strain, many times it can be treated just with some rest and painkillers, but should it continue after this point then it\u2019s time to start looking for a cause more seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combined with some of the symptoms that have been mentioned in this article, muscle stiffness can easily point to a poliomyelitis infection \u2013 especially when together with other symptoms such as a severe fever. Experiencing symptoms of this severity should always warrant making an appointment with your doctor, especially if a serious health condition such as poliomyelitis is suspected in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the proper tests have been done in order to establish the cause, it can usually be treated, even when as serious as polio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Headaches<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Headaches <\/a>should be one of the first signs that something is wrong with your health, and there are a thousand different things that can be the cause behind your headaches \u2013 but if they continue in spite of attempts at treatment, make an appointment with your doctor in order to track down the cause before you end up doing more harm to your health.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Headaches that can be combined with any of the other symptoms on this list and together with any potential exposure to the poliovirus should always be taken seriously and could be potential signs and symptoms of having developed the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are experiencing chronic headaches that aren\u2019t going away and seem to be resisting all forms of treatment you\u2019ve thrown at it so far, consider an appointment with your doctor: Even when it\u2019s not polio, at least you\u2019ll be able to adequately treat the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Paralysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Paralysis <\/a>is one of the most serious symptoms that can commonly be associated with poliomyelitis, and it\u2019s the symptom of the condition that\u2019s most often considered to be fatal to your health. Paralysis, when associated with polio, can affect any part of the body, although it should be mentioned that there are several different forms of polio that do not have the associated paralysis as a symptom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, the paralysis will start in the earlier stages of the condition and progress further along from there, and usually, this will go together with other symptoms of the condition such as associated nerve damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paralysis is exactly as serious as it sounds, and it has the potential to affect far more than the body\u2019s extremities, but can also affect organs like the lungs. Should this happen, medical attention and assisted breathing are the only ways in which it can be treated \u2013 but in modern times, cases of this severity are considered rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Muscle Weakness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Muscle weakness <\/a>can (and very often does) happen to everyone around the planet every once in a while. Sometimes it\u2019s because we\u2019ve walked up the stairs and don\u2019t do it often, other times it might be after some serious exercise or during a moment throughout the day where your blood sugar levels drop \u2013 but if muscle weakness as a symptom comes back or doesn\u2019t go away at all, it\u2019s time to start looking for potential further causes of the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muscle weakness associated with polio leads to very rapid muscle degeneration, and will potentially lead to a considerable amount of discomfort and pain \u2013 but it can also be treated with things like hot and cold compress packs, moderate exercise and hydrotherapy in order to regain at least some muscle strength over time. In many cases of polio walking aids might be needed in order to move without experiencing any pain, discomfort or hindrance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Physical Deformities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The physical deformity <\/a>is one of the symptoms that people commonly associate with polio, and it\u2019s one of the symptoms that happen in the majority of diagnosed polio cases \u2013 and it also happens to be the symptom that can cause you the most pain and discomfort over time. It\u2019s important to mention that the physical deformities due to a polio infection can vary greatly in terms of severity, and not all cases are the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These physical deformities won\u2019t show as the earliest symptoms, but only often appear later \u2013 and then stick around for life. There are many ways that living with physical conditions can be made much easier, including through the use of walking aids like canes, walkers, and wheelchairs that we\u2019ve mentioned further up in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes surgery is also considered in more extreme cases as a corrective measure even sometimes decades after the condition has occurred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. No Symptoms at All<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important things to note about the symptoms <\/a>of polio is the fact that a lot of cases won\u2019t display any of the characteristic symptoms of the condition that we\u2019ve described above at all. If you\u2019ve contracted polio, then you might show some of the symptoms described, or you might show none at all and still continue to be a carrier for the disease, which means that you are still at risk of infecting people around you with the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you know that you\u2019re at risk in the first place? Traveling to areas where poliomyelitis is still prevalent can increase your risk of contracting the condition, and if you have recently traveled to any of these areas of the world, it\u2019s best to see your travel doctor both before and after the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that asymptomatic conditions just mean no initial symptoms are displayed: The condition can still do just as much damage to your body if left untreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Post-Polio Syndrome<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The symptoms that you might experience during an active polio infection aren\u2019t the only ones that should be considered important, and this is because of the fact that polio can be considered a lifelong condition for which there is no current cure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only this, but there is also something referred to as a post-polio syndrome, in which the initial symptoms of the condition can come back for some months or years even after the initial infection has happened. If you have ever contracted and healed from polio, it\u2019s very likely that you\u2019ll experience the symptoms of post-polio syndrome at some point in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like the initial infection, the post-polio syndrome should be treated by taking a look at the symptoms and treating them each individually in order to increase the quality of life as much as possible. If post-polio syndrome recurs more frequently or severely, see your doctor in order to adapt your current lifestyle <\/a>and treatment to suit your condition better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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