Prognosis

Polio Virus
Symptoms, Prognosis, and
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, Treatments
you may never develop paralysis or any life-
threatening conditions. Polio is categorized
into three groups; Subclinical, non-paralytic,
and paralytic. With subclinical and non-
paralytic polio, you may never even notice
you were infected, as symptoms only last 72
hours or there were no symptoms to begin
with. This allows individuals to recover
without residual problems. If the virus infects
your central nervous system, you most likely
have paralytic polio. Around 2/3 of people
with paralytic polio will develop permanent
weakness. Physical therapy, corrective shoes,
or orthopedic surgery are necessary to regain
muscle strength and function. 25-50% of
paralytic polio survivors will develop post-
polio syndrome (PPS). Muscular weakness,
breathing problems, fatigue, and joint pain
are common symptoms of this syndrome.
Although not life-threatening, it does stand in
the way of completing daily activities.
Physical therapy, walking sticks or scooters,
weight control and healthy eating, pain
relieving medication, and psychological
therapy can help treat PPS.
 What is Polio? Symptoms
Polio, or Poliomyelitis, is a virus that is
Prevention/Treatment
spread through contaminated food and
water or contact with a person infected
with the disease, sometimes resulting in
paralysis.

Although there are sometimes no

symptoms with polio, some may
experience the following:
Whole body: fatigue, feeling faint, fever,
or wasting away
Muscular: muscle weakness, loss of
muscle, or muscle quiver
Other commons symptoms: headache,
nausea, or slow growth
If you experience any of these symptoms,
call your doctor right away to get a
prognosis.
To prevent from contracting polio, good
hygiene is very important (i.e. washing
your hands before eating). You should
also consider getting the polio vaccine. If
you have already caught the virus,
consult your doctor for medical advice.
Some recovery options are bed rest,
physical therapy, and medication, such as
Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, or
Aspirin. You can also contact a
neurologist, a pediatrician, or any
specialist who can help you fight this
virus.