Many people had Polio without symptoms. Now many of them are suffering with Post Polio Syndrome along with those who had symptoms of Polio.
Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that may develop several decades after a person has had polio (poliomyelitis). Only people who have had polio can get PPS, but PPS is not the same illness as polio. Having PPS does not mean that the person has developed polio again.
The symptoms of PPS include new muscle weakness, fatigue, and pain. Muscles whose nerves were damaged when the person had polio are the ones that may weaken and waste away (atrophy) because of PPS. However, it is possible that when the person had polio, not all of the affected nerves caused noticeable muscle weakness. Therefore, people with PPS may develop weakness in muscles that they did not realize had been affected by polio
You cannot get polio from a person with PPS.
PPS should not be confused with another medical condition called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Doctors are only now beginning to understand why many people who had polio get PPS.
What is Post Polio Syndrome?
It has been known for a long time that the polio virus damages the nerves that control muscles. This is what causes the muscle weakness seen in a person with polio.
In people who at least partially recover from polio, the nerves that are still working grow branches that connect to some of the muscles that have lost nerve connections. When this happens, the person usually regains at least partial use of that muscle.
Doctors believe that these new nerve connections are not as strong as the original nerves and may break down after 20 or more years. When these nerve connections break down, the muscles they control may become weaker.
Many doctors now believe that everyone who had polio may eventually have some symptoms of PPS. However, people who have only minor symptoms may never seek treatment or be diagnosed with PPS. Also, it is difficult to predict when the symptoms will begin and how severe they will be. The exact period of time it takes for symptoms of PPS to develop varies with each person. Symptoms of PPS may develop as soon as 15 years after a person had polio, or they may take more than 50 years to appear (30 years is typical). It is estimated that 25% to 40% of people who had polio during childhood will develop PPS 30 to 40 years later.
You are more likely to develop PPS if:
You had polio when you were a teen or an adult. (Babies and young children who had polio are less likely to develop PPS.)
You have significant remaining muscle weakness. The more extensive or severe the weakness you still have after recovering from polio, the more likely you are to experience symptoms of PPS.
You had breathing problems because the polio virus affected the nerves that control breathing.
You are a woman.
