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
RICHARD FLINT COMPETITION
The Richard Flint awards were invented through a very generous legacy left to the Fellowship by Richard Flint. It was his hope that the money would be used to encourage survivors of polio to embrace there artistic flare and allow it to flourish. Every year since we have run competitions in three categories (Art Photography and Poetry) for polio survivors. Each category has a 1st place prize of £250, 2nd place prize of £150 and a third place prize of £75.
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PLEASE NOTE: THE ENTRY DEADLINE IS NOW CLOSED
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The winners for 2024 are as follows...
Art
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1st Place, Jerry Hutchinson
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Photography
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1st Place, Violet Roe
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Poetry
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1st Place, Limi Jones
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Two worlds. Two paths. One life.
In one we are queens, adorned in royal red.
Admired, feared, and praised.
In the other, we are an incubator,
Destined to be a homemaker.
In one our hair flung loose we dance
bare feet to the jazzy beat of our hearts.
In the other, we are told to be unassuming.
We have no vice, we are made of all things nice.
In one we are fired, intuitively
Inspired, to walk a different path.
In the other, we are a burden, not inspirations.
We are weighed down by the dowry of generations.
In one we open our wings in flight and soar
High, and high.
In the other, we are clipped and crushed.
Told to look down, and not up.
in one we strut the power, of our feminine sexuality.
Our curves, a worship of our female sensuality.
In the other, our flesh is cloaked, covered, and concealed.
Told to be ashamed, of our own sex appeal.
In one we shout and scream how we feel
Where our words mean something real.
In the other, we are choked, stifled and censored.
By false practice, and beliefs.
In one we are submissive, compliant, humble.
An obedient, docile, dutiful daughter.
In the other, we are rebellious, a fierce shakti, a chaos.
Where we have the freedom, the independence and the right, to be us.
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Please send entries via email to:
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or by post to
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The British Polio Fellowship
CP House
Otterspool Way
Watford
WD25 8HR
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Full details of the competition can be found here
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