WHAT IS POST POLIO SYNDROME
Post Polio Syndrome is a poorly understood condition that can affect people who have had polio in the past.
Polio is a viral infection that used to be common in the UK, but is now rare.
Most people who had Polio would have fought off the infection without even realising they were infected.
Some people with Polio would have had paralysis, muscle weakness and shrinking of the muscles. But usually, these problems would have either gone away over the following weeks or months, or remained the same for years afterwards.
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Post Polio Syndrome is where some of these symptoms return or get worse many years or decades after the original polio infection.
SYMPTOMS OF POST POLIO SYNDROME
Post Polio Syndrome can include a wide range of symptoms that develop gradually over time, including:
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persistent fatigue (extreme tiredness)
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muscle weakness
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shrinking muscles
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muscle and joint pain
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The condition can have a significant impact on everyday life, making it very difficult to get around and carry out certain tasks and activities. The symptoms tend to get gradually worse over many years, but this happens very slowly and treatment may help slow it down further.
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Post Polio Syndrome is rarely life-threatening, although some people develop breathing and swallowing difficulties that can lead to serious problems, such as chest infections.
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WHO'S AFFECTED
Post Polio Syndrome only affects people who've had polio. It usually develops 15 to 40 years after the infection.
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The condition has become more common in the UK in recent years, because of the high number of Polio cases that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, before routine vaccination was introduced. It's estimated that there are around 120,000 people living in the UK who survived Polio when they were younger. Some of these have, or will develop, Post Polio Syndrome.
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It's not known exactly how many Polio survivors are or will be affected by Post Polio Syndrome. Estimates vary from as low as 15% to as high as 80%.
WHAT CAUSES POST-POLIO SYNDROME?
The exact cause of post Polio Syndrome is unclear. It's not known whether anything can be done to prevent it.
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The leading theory is that it's the result of the gradual deterioration of nerve cells in the spinal cord (motor neurones) that were damaged by the Polio virus. This would explain why the condition can take years to appear.
Post Polio Syndrome isn't contagious. The theory that the Polio virus may lie dormant in your body, causing Post Polio Syndrome when it becomes reactivated at a later stage, has been disproven.
It's not clear why only some people who've had polio develop Post Polio Syndrome. Those who had severe Polio when they were younger may be more likely to develop the condition.
Contacts us: 0800 043 1935
Email us: info@britishpolio.org.uk
John Ault
John was five when he contracted polio after playing on the beach at Margate. His treatment was too little too late and today, he still sees many of the faces of those that didn't survive. A haunting reminder that visits him in the early hours.
It was Easter of 1957 when I contracted polio at the age of five, following a day trip to Margate beach. The illness led to partial paralysis of my legs and a curvature of the spine. I remember playing with a dead starfish at the time. The shoreline wasn't as clean as it is today, so I can only assume that's how I caught the virus.
I remember feeling like I had the flu, and my parents were extremely worried. Then men in masks arrived to take me to the hospital in an ambulance. I was frightened, but everything after that is a blur. I was told that I was temporarily placed in an iron lung in the isolation ward at Joyce Green Hospital near Dartford, Kent, and then confined to a room for months with a glass partition separating me from my parents.
I vividly recall the brief visits from loved ones. It was so hot in my room that my mum and her friend once had to hang their coats up at the window to help lower my temperature.
Health care was a postcode lottery back then, so I was basically left to languish in bed, which caused the muscles in my left leg to waste away and worsened the curvature of my spine. In contrast, patients at other hospitals received intensive physiotherapy early on, which greatly improved their outcomes. By the time I finally received physiotherapy, it was too little, too late. However, my spine curvature did improve somewhat after long swimming lessons at Madame Osterberg's College in Dartford.
What followed were 10 years of operations at Joyce Green and West Hill Hospital, most of which were unsuccessful, particularly the attempt to fuse my ankles. My specialist surgeon was a terrible man—feared by both staff and patients. He would become very angry if anyone dared to politely question why he was performing a particular procedure. He often reduced my mother to tears.
I sometimes spent months in the hospital, where the staff, for the most part, were firm but kind. I particularly remember a huge Irish matron and a staff nurse who were both lovely. The worst part was the short visiting times—just half an hour. I dreaded the sound of the "time up" bell, and even today, I still shiver when I hear a similar sound. My poor mum and dad, who worked shifts on the railway, didn't have a car, so getting to the hospital involved traveling by two buses and a train. On a few occasions, they couldn't make it on time, but no allowances were made, and sometimes I only had five minutes with them.
Wards back then were almost militaristic in how they were run, and for a child, being separated from loved ones was incredibly upsetting. I'm 72 years old now, and it still haunts me. However, there were some happy moments, mainly from interacting with other children. Some were worse off than me but displayed extraordinary courage and bravery, especially the burn victims.
Sadly, not everyone in the hospital made it. I was fortunate to have a life they never had the chance to experience. As time goes on, their faces sometimes return to visit me in the early hours, a haunting reminder that comes with age. But life is good, and I'm always thankful for being blessed with a wonderful wife, two lovely children, grandchildren who bring me joy, and many good friends.
I worked for 37 years as a Senior Engineering Technician at a local college, which, coincidentally, was partially housed in the old Madame Osterberg's building where I once swam.
Now, I suffer from the debilitating symptoms of the late effects of polio, which have come back to bite me with a vengeance. I've had a total knee replacement, and my ankle has virtually collapsed. Due to previous, somewhat botched operations, there's little that Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London can do, so they're treating the problems conservatively with strengthened boots and leg braces. But I still have a pulse, so all is good!
As a postscript, the other day while sorting through photos salvaged from my late mum and dad’s house, I came across an old newspaper clipping and photo. I vividly remember Miss Elliott, the teacher who showed me an immense amount of kindness during those seemingly endless hours on the wards. I think I may have even had a bit of a crush on her at the time, despite the significant age difference!
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​​​Photo Above: John Ault
Photo Below: Cheerful John Ault has a bright smile for his teacher at West Hill Hospital, Miss Marian Elliott.
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