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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.

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:

persistent fatigue (extreme tiredness)
muscle weakness
shrinking muscles
muscle and joint pain
sleep apnoea

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.

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.

WHO'S AFFECTED

Post Polio Syndrome only affects people who've had polio. It usually develops 15 to 40 years after the infection.

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.

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.

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

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The British Polio Fellowship

Sep 252 min read

ParalympicsGB win silver medal in wheelchair basketball final

Polio survivor and member of the British Polio Fellowship, Peter Cusack was part in the Great Britain’s wheelchair basketball team which won a Silver medal at the Paralympics in Paris this year.

The GB team took on reigning champions, the US on 7 September in an exciting final, fighting back from 12 points down only to lose 73-69.

The US team has won the Gold medal for men's wheelchair basketball, three times in a row.

Captained by Welshman Phil Pratt the GB team has achieved the nation’s best result in the sport in 28 years. The last time Britain made it to the final was in 1996 when three of the current squad (including Peter) weren’t even born. On that occasion they lost to Australia 78-63.

This time however it felt quite different and a big 71-43 win over Germany fueled hopes they could go further.

USA had led by 12 points at one stage but a late push by GB made for a close finish. But sadly they had left it too late, with too much to do. The final result didn’t go Britain’s way but it did at least mark the coming-of-age of some talented players, one in particular being Peter Cusack.

"It was the best two weeks of my life!" commented Cusack.

And what is next for Peter? "I am returning to Spain and hoping for a good season with my club UCAM Murcia in the 2024-2025 BSR Espana SuperLiga.

"With GB there will be European Championships next summer so I shall be aiming for selection and preparing for that. Longer term, we will be looking to go one better by getting a gold medal in the Paralympics in Los Angeles 2028!"

Photo source: British Wheelchair Basketball Instagram

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