How did polio cause paralysis?
With the destruction of nerve cells, the muscles no longer receive signals from the brain or spinal cord; without nerve stimulation, the muscles atrophy, becoming weak, floppy and poorly controlled, and finally completely paralyzed.
Can you recover from polio paralysis?
People who have milder polio symptoms usually make a full recovery within 1–2 weeks. People whose symptoms are more severe can be weak or paralyzed for life, and some may die. After recovery, a few people might develop “post-polio syndrome” as long as 30–40 years after their initial illness.
What type of paralysis is polio?
The hallmark of paralytic polio is asymmetric paresis or paralysis. The maximal loss of functions is typically seen within 3 to 5 days of onset but may progress for up to 1 week. Legs are more often involved than arms, and proximal muscles of the extremities are more often involved than distal muscles (Figure 7-2).
Can polio paralyze your arms?
In less than 1% of cases, polio causes permanent paralysis of the arms, legs or breathing muscles. Between 5% and 10% of people who develop paralytic polio will die. Physical symptoms may emerge 15 years or more after the first polio infection. These new symptoms are called the ‘late effects of polio’.
Is polio paralysis permanent?
Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with polio, because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Between 2 and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die, because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.
What are the 3 types of polio called?
There are three wild types of poliovirus (WPV) – type 1, type 2, and type 3. People need to be protected against all three types of the virus in order to prevent polio disease and the polio vaccination is the best protection.
Is polio acute flaccid paralysis?
A probable case of polio is defined as an acute onset of flaccid paralysis of one or more limbs with decreased or absent tendon reflexes in the affected limbs, without other apparent cause, and without sensory or cognitive loss.
How did you catch polio?
How is polio spread? Polio is spread when the stool of an infected person is introduced into the mouth of another person through contaminated water or food (fecal-oral transmission). Oral-oral transmission by way of an infected person’s saliva may account for some cases.