What Are The Symptoms Of Polio?

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a severe illness caused by a virus called poliovirus. The majority of polio cases are asymptomatic or occur without noticeable symptoms. There are two classifications of symptomatic polio: paralytic and non-paralytic. Poliovirus is highly contagious and can be spread through direct contact with an infected individual through feces, food, and the water supply. Once poliovirus enters a host, it colonizes in the intestinal and throat tissues.

Without swift medical intervention, the virus mobilizes in the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. Thankfully, a vaccine to prevent polio is available. Polio can be detected through secretions in the throat, cerebrospinal fluid, and stool. Because polio cannot be cured, treatment consists of preventing complications and managing symptoms.

Neck And Back Pain

Neck and back pain are common symptoms that occur in individuals with non-paralytic polio and paralytic polio. The poliovirus enters the body and expends into the mesenteric and cervical lymph nodes. From there, it moves into the bloodstream and is enabled to colonize in extraneural regions to maintain a stronghold on its host. This process is thought to increase the probability the virus will attack the nervous system. Pain and stiffness in the back and the neck happen as a result of the virus entering the affected individual's blood, and the immune response summoned to mediate this viremia.

This mechanism causes membranes around the spinal cord to become inflamed and swollen. The neck and back pain is said to be identical to that in other forms of infection precipitated meningitis. Abnormal behaviors of autonomic function due to polio affecting the individual's nervous system can compound the inflammation around the spinal cord that causes neck and back pain.

Muscle Aches And Weakness

Muscle aches and weakness are symptoms of polio that occur once the virus has launched its attack on an individual's nervous system. Symptoms produced by this process can last anywhere from four days to five weeks. The symptom of muscle weakness refers to the inability of an individual to produce a muscle movement while exerting their maximum effort to do so. Muscle weakness can be unique in those affected by polio because it is often not accompanied by loss of sensation.

Muscle aches, back pain, and neck stiffness typically occur before the patient's muscle weakness sets in. Muscle weakness reaches its peak within forty-eight hours of its onset, but it can last for over a week. Muscle weakness caused by polio manifests with greater severity in the patient's lower limbs than in their upper limbs. Muscle weakness is known to occur asymmetrically, with varying degrees of weakness in different regions of the body.

Loss Of Reflexes

Following the muscle weakness, an affected individual who has not been treated begins to experience a loss of reflexes. A reflex is a response by the body that occurs as a reaction to stimulus such as immediately removing the hand when it touches an extremely hot object. Sneezing, coughing, and blinking of the eyes are examples of other automatic reflexes. The reflex physicians usually check in an individual's legs is called the patellar reflex. When the patellar tendon is tapped, it stretches the muscle connected to the tendon.

Nerve impulses are transmitted to the spinal cord, indicating this muscle has stretched. Almost immediately, a message is transmitted from the spinal cord back to the muscle. This impulse provokes a quick muscle contraction that causes the lower leg to kick in an outward direction. The patellar reflex is important to an individual's balance, and physicians use it to evaluate nervous system function. Polio patients initially experience agile reflexes and spasms before they rapidly lose reflex function.

Floppy Limbs

An individual with polio can experience floppy limbs when their illness advances to a stage called paralytic poliomyelitis. Flaccid paralysis only occurs in less than one of every one hundred polio infections. Floppy limbs and loss of reflexes are the results of the virus infiltrating and destroying specific types of cells in the nervous system responsible for the activation of muscles. This process occurs following the general muscle weakness caused by damage to these same nerve cells. The muscles that rely on these specific nerve cells become completely non-functional, rather than reduced in function. Floppy limbs occur as a result of this malfunction.

Floppy limbs can be described as acute flaccid paralysis. The limb or limbs become lifeless and do not respond to stimuli in the form of movements and reflexes. Before the affected individual begins to recover, the floppy limbs remain at the same level of severity for anywhere between several days to several weeks. While the majority of patients regain their motor function, some cases result in permanent paralysis.

Body Stiffness

Body stiffness, where an individual has to exert extra strength and effort to move body parts accompanied by tightness, pain, and decreased range of motion, can occur in any of the early and post-polio stages. Some patients describe body stiffness is an inability to perform a normal stretching without painful sensations. Body stiffness is a common characteristic of systemic inflammatory diseases or conditions like arthritis, spondylitis, and spinal stenosis.

Individuals affected by polio develop widespread inflammation in numerous body tissues like the muscles in the neck, back, and limbs. Inflammation is characterized by blood vessel dilation and an influx of immune components to the site where the virus has caused damage. This is typically the nerves near the muscles responsible for their activation. The inflammatory response causes surrounding tissues to swell and compresses nearby structures. This mechanism results in body stiffness.

Sore Throat

Patients with non-paralytic polio could develop a sore throat that lasts for approximately ten days. This may occur in conjunction with a headache and pain or stiffness in the neck, back, arms, and legs. The throat often feels scratchy and dry, and swallowing may be painful. To ease a sore throat, it may help to gargle with salt water and use lozenges containing anesthetic or menthol. Patients should monitor their symptoms, and they should see a doctor immediately if they believe their sore throat may be a symptom of polio. To distinguish between non-paralytic polio and other causes of a sore throat, doctors will test the patient's throat secretions to see if polio is present.

Meningitis

Meningitis develops when the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord become inflamed in response to an infection. The condition is sometimes a symptom of non-paralytic polio. Patients with meningitis often report a stiff neck and severe headache, and many also experience sensitivity to light, vomiting, nausea, or a skin rash. A high fever may develop rapidly. The symptoms of meningitis can become life-threatening within hours, and it is important to seek emergency medical care immediately if symptoms suggest this condition.

Doctors perform a lumbar puncture to diagnose meningitis, and patients with bacterial meningitis typically require treatment in the intensive care unit. Intravenous antibiotics and breathing support will be provided. Viral meningitis is considered less serious and may not require hospital treatment, though patients should still seek medical care.

Fever

Fever is one of the most common symptoms associated with non-paralytic polio. It typically occurs together with other flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, vomiting, and a sore throat. A fever is the body's way of trying to rid itself of an infection. Generally, a low-grade fever is considered to be a temperature higher than 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and lower than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Most doctors consider a high fever to be at least 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Patients with any grade of fever may sweat or shiver, and muscle aches could occur.

The patient should have their temperature checked regularly to monitor the fever. If a patient's fever lasts more than three days or reaches 103 degrees Fahrenheit, the patient should see their doctor as soon as possible. Patients should be taken to the emergency room if their fever is accompanied by persistent vomiting, confusion, a skin rash, throat swelling, or a severe headache.

Paralysis

Paralysis is associated with the paralytic form of polio. This form of the condition is the most serious type, and vaccinations have made it very rare in the developed world. Paralytic polio usually begins with a fever, headache, and other symptoms characteristic of non-paralytic polio. Within roughly seven days, patients with this form of the condition will start to show other symptoms. They may have severe muscle aches or muscle weakness, and a loss of reflexes could occur.

The limbs on one or both sides of the body might become loose and floppy; this is known as flaccid paralysis. Limb deformities might develop, and these may be especially noticeable in the feet, ankles, and hips. Severe muscle spasms may be present, and the patient might suddenly become paralyzed. The paralysis is often temporary, and permanent paralysis only develops in less than one percent of all cases of polio. In five to ten percent of the polio cases that result in paralysis, the poliovirus attacks the muscles used for breathing, which can be fatal.

Paresthesia

Paresthesia refers to a sensation of pins and needles, and it most frequently occurs in the hands, arms, legs, and feet. Paresthesia has been reported in cases of post-polio syndrome, a condition that may develop fifteen to forty years after a patient recovers from polio. Paresthesia may produce a burning or tingling sensation, and some patients notice numbness, weakness, or a cold feeling in the affected area. The condition can be temporary or chronic. Temporary paresthesia is often due to pressure placed on a nerve, and the chronic form of the condition generally develops due to nerve damage. Patients with chronic paresthesia may experience clumsiness or reduced coordination in the affected limb, and the condition can sometimes cause stabbing pain in the area too.

To diagnose paresthesia and determine the underlying cause, doctors take the patient's complete health history and perform a physical examination that includes a complete neurological exam. The patient's reflexes, sensation, muscle strength, and coordination will be checked. Blood tests and a lumbar puncture may be recommended to rule out certain causes, and patients might need to see several specialists. Imaging studies such as MRI and CT scans could be necessary to detect issues with the spine or neck. Treatment for paresthesia depends on the underlying cause. If the condition is the result of irreversible nerve damage, the patient will be provided with physical therapy and support to help them learn new ways of completing particular tasks with less pain. Prescription pain relievers may help reduce the disruption this condition may have on the patient's daily activities.