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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.

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:

persistent fatigue (extreme tiredness)
muscle weakness
shrinking muscles
muscle and joint pain
sleep apnoea

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.

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.

WHO'S AFFECTED

Post Polio Syndrome only affects people who've had polio. It usually develops 15 to 40 years after the infection.

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.

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.

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

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The British Polio Fellowship
- Jan 9, 2023
- 2 min read

Colin Powell MBE, Patron of BPF, dies aged 73

Updated: Jan 10, 2023

Colin Powell, who received an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list for services to people with polio in the UK, has died aged 73.

The news was confirmed by his fiancé, Dawn Grafetsberger on Tuesday 3 January.

Born Stewart Colin Powell in 1949, Colin contracted polio aged six months after a swimming outing with his father. The polio virus attacked his spinal cord and left him paralysed and a full-time wheelchair user.

Colin didn’t start his school education until he was aged 11 and left with only one GCE O-Level. He started work but determined to progress, he continued to study in the evenings and at weekends through a correspondence course. His hard work paid off and he qualified as a chartered certified accountant.

Colin has been a life member of the British Polio Fellowship (BPF) and a very active Patron for the charity. After retiring, he joined Rotary to help support its work to eradicate polio. Colin, however, wet even further and began to focus on making Rotary aware of polio survivors. He gave honest and candid talks, in person and during Covid using Zoom, about his life and challenges living with the effect of polio and Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS).

Kripen Dhrona, Chief Executive at BPF, said: "I got to know Colin when I first started at the Fellowship, and he quickly become a friend as well as a work colleague.

He was passionate about ensuring polio is eradicated. He didn't want to see others go through what he lived with all his life. He worked closely with Rotary and the BPF to ensure not only the eradication effort was supported, but the need to help survivors was also recognised and acknowledged.

"When I think of Colin, I will always remember his warm (but slightly cheeky) smile and his wonderful sense of humour. My heartfelt condolences go to Dawn, his fiancé and all his family and friends."

Colin's funeral will be held on Tuesday, 24 January at 2:40pm at West Herts Crematorium, WD25 0JS. The venue for gathering will be announced in due course.

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