top of page

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

Accessibility Tools

Search

The British Polio Fellowship

Mar 22, 20221 min read

Members Zoom In For Strategy Update

On Thursday 17 February, members of the British Polio Fellowship attended a Zoom meeting to hear from the Board, an update on its new strategy.

Jerry Hutchinson, Strategy Lead and acting Vice-Chair was joined by fellow Trustees, Frances Quinn, Gordon Richardson (acting Chair) and Terry Blackman explained why the strategy was developed, its progress to date and gave members an opportunity to comment.

The strategy will focus on five distinct work areas; Improving Communication, People, Financial Resources, Outreach and Health and Wellbeing. For each work area a small group of Trustees and staff have identified the ‘hot topics’ and what needs to be achieved. Work on Outreach and Health and Wellbeing is yet to begin, but as soon as discussions have been finalised, consultations will follow.

With all the preliminary work complete the Board will review everything as a whole and agree an action plan with realistic, timed, resourced and deliverable outcomes. Members are being kept up to date on everything and asked to feedback on a regular basis.

Photo by Michael Fousert on Unsplash

Recent Posts

Be safe charging your mobility scooter or wheelchair

Big win for the #BackThe1in6 campaign

Patron Robin Askwith donates show proceeds to charity

Comments

bottom of page