POLIOMYELITIS

Topics
Definition
Cause
Types
Symptoms
Treatment
Prevention
Diagnosis
 Definition
Polio or as known as poliomyelitis – it is an
acute viral disease. Man is the only natural
host of this. The virus enters the mouth and
multiplies in lymphoid tissues in the pharynx
and intestine. Small numbers of virus enter
the blood and go to other sites where the
virus multiplies more extensively.
 Cause of Polio
Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by
a virus that attacks in our nervous system that
can lead to paralysis or even death. The virus
usually get from the environment in a form of
feces of someone who is infected. In areas
with poor sanitation, the virus easily spreads
through the fecal-oral route, via contaminated
water or food.
 Types of Polio
There are three types of polio infections:
• Sub-clinical: Approximately 95 percent of polio cases
are sub-clinical, and patients may not experience any
symptoms. This form of polio does not affect the
central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).
• Non-paralytic: This form, which does affect the central
nervous system, produces only mild symptoms and
does not result in paralysis.
• Paralytic: This is the rarest and most serious form of
polio, which produces full or partial paralysis in the
patient. There are three types of paralytic polio: spinal
polio (affects the spine), bulbar polio (affects the
brainstem), and bulbo-s spinal polio (affects the spine
and brainstem).
 Symptoms of Polio
Sub-Clinical Polio
If patients do have symptoms, they usually last
for 72 hours or less and may include:
• headache
• Sore throat, red throat
• slight fever
• vomiting
Non-Paralytic Polio
The symptoms of non paralytic polio may last for a couple of
days to a week or two and includes
• Fever
• Sore throat in the absence of upper respiratory infection
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Fatique
• Problems swallowing and or breathing
• Stiffness
• Muscle spasms
Paralytic Polio
People with paralytic polio experience the
symptoms associated with non-paralytic polio
first. Soon after, the following symptoms
appear:
• loss of reflexes
• severe spasms and muscle pain
• loose and floppy limbs, sometimes on just one
side of the body, this is due to the weakness
which results from the involvement of the spine
• sudden paralysis (temporary or permanent)
• deformed limbs (especially the hips, ankles, and
feet due to prolonged weakness and the lack of
appropriate orthopedic bracing.
 Treatment of Polio
There is no cure for polio. Doctors can only treat the symptoms while
the infection runs its course. The most common treatments include:
• rest
• painkillers to relieve headaches, muscle aches, and muscle spasms
• antibiotics for urinary tract infections
• portable ventilators to help with breathing
• physical therapy and/or corrective braces to help with walking
• heating pads or warm towels to ease muscle aches and spasms
• physical therapy to treat pain in the affected muscles
• physical therapy to address breathing and pulmonary problems and
then pulmonary rehabilitation to increase the patient’s pulmonary
endurance as the acute breathing problems improve
• In advanced cases of leg weakness, when a patient has difficulty
walking he or she may need a wheelchair or other mobility device
 Prevention of Polio
The best way to prevent this poliomyelitis disease is to
get vaccinated.

• Rarely, the shots can cause mild or severe allergic

reactions, including:
• breathing problems
• high fever
• dizziness
• hives
• swelling of throat
• rapid heart rate
 Diagnosis
How is polio diagnosed ?
• Polio is often recognized because of symptoms
such as neck and back stiffness, abnormal
reflexes, and trouble with swallowing and
breathing. A physician who suspects polio will
perform laboratory tests that check for
poliovirus using throat secretions, stool
samples, or cerebrospinal fluid.
Photo
 Thankie
Winame Padullon Borja

Health Care