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Post-polio syndrome
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Diseases & Conditions
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Shortly after, vaccines were
developed that greatly reduced its spread. Today,
hardly anyone in developed countries gets polio, and
the disease is well on its way to being eliminated
in developing countries, thanks to massive
immunization efforts with oral polio vaccine.
But for some people, some of the initial problems
they had with polio are reappearing in a condition
called post-polio syndrome (PPS). The cause is
unknown, but new research is beginning to yield a
better understanding of this complex syndrome.
Screening and diagnosis
To arrive at a diagnosis of PPS, doctors look for three indicators:
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Previous
diagnosis of polio.
This may require finding old medical records or getting information
from older family members, because acute polio primarily occurs
during childhood. The late effects of polio usually occur in people
who were age 10 or older during the initial attack of polio and
whose symptoms were often severe.
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Long interval
following recovery.
People who recover from the initial attack of polio often live for
many years without further symptoms. The onset of late effects
varies widely but typically begins 10 to 40 years after the initial
diagnosis.
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Gradual onset.
Weakness tends to be imperceptible until it interferes with daily
activities. You may awaken refreshed but feel exhausted by the early
afternoon, tiring after activities that were once easy.
In addition, because the signs and symptoms of post-polio syndrome are
similar to those commonly associated with other disorders, your doctor
will attempt to exclude other possible causes, such as arthritis,
fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or scoliosis.
Some people with post-polio syndrome worry that they may be getting
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease.
But the late effects of polio are not a form of ALS.
Some of the tests your doctor may use to rule out alternative diagnoses
include:
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Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies.
Electromyography measures the tiny electrical discharges produced in
muscles. A thin-needle electrode is inserted into the muscles your
doctor wants to study. An instrument records the electrical activity
in your muscle at rest and as you contract the muscle. In a
variation of EMG, two electrodes are taped to your skin above a
nerve to be studied. A small shock is passed through the nerve to
measure the speed of nerve signals. These tests are help identify
and exclude conditions such as neuropathy, an abnormal condition of
your nerves, and myopathy, a muscle tissue disorder.
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Imaging.
You may undergo tests such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or
computerized tomography (CT) scan to produce images of your brain
and spinal cord. These tests can help exclude spinal disorders such
as spondylosis, a degenerative spine condition, or spinal stenosis,
a narrowing of your spinal column that puts pressure on your nerves.
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Blood tests.
People with PPS usually have normal blood samples. Abnormal blood
test results may indicate another underlying problem that's causing
your symptoms.
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