Poliomyelitis - what is it? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Poliomyelitis is an extremely dangerous infectious disease that affects the human nervous system. According to statistics, the disease affects mainly children and adolescents. So why does poliomyelitis occur, what is it and what symptoms are accompanied? These questions are of interest to many parents.

Poliomyelitis: what is it and why does it occur?

The causative agent of this disease is a representative of picornaviruses Poliovirus hominis. The main source of infection is a sick person. Viral particles can be transmitted through the air. On the other hand, pathogens are released to the outside and along with the feces. It should be noted that the virus is able to maintain activity in the external environment for months. Therefore, you can catch the infection through unwashed products, because of non-compliance with personal hygiene rules, etc.

It is worth noting that children most susceptible to this disease are up to seven years old. Outbreaks of the disease are observed mainly in the spring and summer months.

Poliomyelitis: photos and symptoms of the disease

As already mentioned, viral particles penetrate into nerve cells, causing their gradual destruction and necrosis. The incubation period usually lasts from 7 to 14 days, after which the first symptoms begin to appear.

The disease of poliomyelitis can take place in different ways. But the most dangerous is the paralytic form of the disease. It begins with a sharp rise in temperature, weakness and a cold. The child complains of headaches, nausea and vomiting, becomes inactive and sluggish. You can notice trembling of the limbs, convulsions, muscle twitching - these are the first signs of poliomyelitis.

If the patient was not provided with the necessary assistance, the disease after a few days passes into the next stage, which is accompanied by irreversible damage to the nervous system. Pareses begin to appear, partial or complete paralysis of different muscle groups. The musculature of the extremities is most often affected. In some cases, the disease affects the muscles of the pharynx and the tongue, as well as the muscle tissue responsible for the respiratory movement of the chest.

Because of the weakness of the muscles, the child develops dislocations and deformations of the skeleton, muscle atrophy develops.

Poliomyelitis: what is it and what is it dangerous?

Approximately in 5-10% of cases the disease ends lethal due to paralysis of the intercostal musculature and diaphragm, which leads to respiratory failure. In any case, the lack of treatment for poliomyelitis leads to atrophy and flaccid paralysis, which, in turn, is fraught with distortions and abnormal development of the skeleton.

Complications of this infection can also include pneumonia, lung sagging, inflammation of the heart muscle, peptic ulcer.

Poliomyelitis: what is this and can you get rid of it?

Unfortunately, to this day no medicine has been found that can rid the active form of the disease. Therefore, the main goal of therapy is to eliminate symptoms, as well as restorative treatment that helps alleviate the effects of muscle paralysis.

Of course, therapy is only possible in a hospital. First, the child is hospitalized and prescribed painkillers that will help ease the baby's condition. If the musculature of the extremities is affected, then they are put on the tires, which prevent the appearance of dislocations and curvatures. In the future, rehabilitation therapy is provided, which includes regular curative gymnastics, warm baths and some methods of physiotherapy that help at least partially regain muscle mobility.

Fortunately, it is possible to prevent the development of such a terrible disease with the help of vaccination against poliomyelitis.