Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Some Significant Post-Polio Blog Facts

By Ericka Marsh


Some diseases are rare but have far reaching effects than those which are commonly encountered. Polio virus infection is one such rare disease. It usually affects children under the age of fifteen years but rarely adults. All the same, the disease may recur in a new form in fifteen to thirty years after the initial infection. This is what is termed as post polio syndrome. Post-polio blog outline this phenomenon in more details.

. Unlike other ailments, this disease has no clear signs and symptoms that distinguish it from other related illnesses. For this reason, misdiagnosis is very common even with experienced and highly knowledgeable persons. For instance, the key symptoms and signs include muscle wasting, body pains, malaise and weakness. These same features are common with other infections like poliomyelitis. This condition is progressive and may grossly affect ability to carry out activities of daily living.

When mechanisms of action of a disease is well understood then even control and management becomes easier; otherwise, managing it becomes difficult. For this particular disease, mechanisms of action remain unknown. All information available is about theories. Some of these theories are more acceptable than others. The most accepted theory talks of neural fatigue. In this theory, it is explained that remaining nerve cells that survive viral attack assumes the function of all other dead ones. Because of this, they are later overwhelmed leading to later expressions observed.

Diagnosis is a key feature in patient care. Wrong diagnosis means wrong treatment and consequently mismanagement. For this illness, no lab test is available to confirm diagnosis. The only available diagnostic measure is history. A clear history leading to diagnosis indicates previous infection with polio virus, long time lapse from initial time of infection and eventually gradual onset of muscle weakness.

Several symptomatic management options exist. They serve to eliminate distressing features experienced by patient as pain but not to cure the primary illness. There is no clear curative regime available to manage this disease. Adequate rest, pain control and fatigue control are but a few care modalities available. Drugs may also be used alongside treatment options available.

Of all the symptoms, fatigue is the most conspicuous and very distressing symptom. Nearly all persons with this syndrome complain of fatigue. They points out fatigue as one most undesired feature. To effectively handle this feature, a number of options are employed. These include fatigue medication, weight reduction, workload reduction as well as change of life style.

Recovery is usually possible in patients who have suffered from this state of health. However, this may depend on the body structures affected. Individuals with respiratory compromise tend to succumb to their illnesses while others tend to recover. All the same, those who recover do so after a considerably long period of time that may extend to years; eventually, they recover fully to their previous state of health.

All persons desire good life. For this reason, all individuals should strive to utilize available preventive measures rather than treat an infection.. Some of these measures include proper hygiene and immunization during childhood. This is the only sure way of preventing post polio syndrome.




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