Paralytic polio is a rare but severe form of polio that attacks the central nervous system, causing paralysis and a variety of complications. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, body aches, fever, stiffness, muscle weakness, tremors, and spasms. The disease is preventable through vaccination.
Paralytic polio is a severe form of polio, an infection caused by the poliovirus. Because it is so serious, it has historically occupied a large chunk of media coverage of polio. Some very important historical figures have suffered from this condition, such as US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This form is actually quite rare, however, and is steadily declining.
The poliovirus, which is highly infectious, prefers the intestinal tract environment. A person infected with the disease usually suffers from a mild form that often resolves on its own, with around 95% of cases classified as mild. In some cases, however, the virus will be more aggressive and in about 2% of cases it will develop into paralytic polio.
In these cases, the virus attacks the central nervous system. When only the spinal cord is affected, as in the vast majority of severe cases, it is referred to as spinal polio. When the brain stem is attacked, it is called bulbar polio, and when both the brain and spinal cord are involved, it is classified as bulbospinal polio. When the virus attacks the central nervous system, it causes paralysis and a variety of complications.
Symptoms of paralytic polio include difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, body aches, fever, stiffness, muscle weakness, tremors, and spasms. In some cases, the muscles that regulate breathing become paralyzed, in which case the patient must be placed on an artificial ventilator so that he can breathe. Historically, patients often ended up on iron lungs, specialized negative pressure ventilators.
In 5-10% of cases, this disease kills. The mortality rate is higher in adults, in whom polio infections appear to be more severe. Many people suffer complications from paralytic polio, such as paralysis, malformed limbs, muscle weakness, and difficulty breathing. Physical therapy can greatly help with these complications of the disease, making life more comfortable and enjoyable for the patient.
The great tragedy of polio is that it is preventable through vaccination. In most regions of the world, herd immunity has been achieved through extensive vaccination coverage, making cases very rare. Some developing nations still have cases of polio, however, much to the frustration of health care workers who would like to eradicate this disease.
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