Post-Polio Syndrome, A New Condition for an Old Disease
Even though Jonas Salk’s vaccine beat the polio virus into submission in the 1950s, the U.S. still has more than 400,000 polio survivors and up to half of them have post-polio syndrome (PPS). A National Institutes of Health website defines PPS as “a condition that affects polio survivors anywhere from 10-40 years after recovery from an initial paralytic attack of the poliomyelitis virus.”
PPS symptoms can include further weakening of polio-affected muscles, fatigue, joint pain, muscular atrophy, and difficulty in swallowing.
“I remember (getting polio) like it was yesterday,” said 67-year-old Dick Baumer of Owatonna, Minn., in a telephone interview, referring to being age four. “It was 1944, and I was coming home from school (in Wisconsin) with my sister and had been feeling yucky. I was a half block from home when I fell down and couldn’t get up.”
A family doctor immediately referred Baumer to a hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, 180 miles away. Baumer heard his mother screaming with fear as he was placed in isolation at the hospital. He was paralyzed from the waist down.
“Then I was at the Sister Kenny Institute about six months,” said Baumer. “I was wrapped in hot rags (for treatment). When released in April 1945, I was only able to crawl and support myself for short periods of time.”
By early 1946, he was gaining strength and walking again. Baumer eventually graduated from college, then lied about having had polio to join the Air Force. No one even suspected.
Today, he deals with muscle weakness in his right leg, and has sleep apnea, not uncommon for people with his type of polio. He also recently had knee surgery.
Said Baumer, “I was one of the founding members of (a state post-polio awareness and support society). Its mission is to educate people about post-polio syndrome and help them get in touch with organizations that provide services and support. But the most important aspect of the group is to educate.”
He said one major problem currently facing people with PPS is that most physicians under age 50 don’t know that much about polio.
“If you are having physical problems, be sure to look up a support group,” said Baumer. “There is no cure for PPS. As for advice, we tell people to conserve their energy in order to preserve a decent lifestyle.”
For more, see danieljvance.com [This column made possible by a grant from Blue Valley Sod, www.bluevalleysod.com]
Comments (4)
I have been wondering if there is a link between people who have had polio and their children that have autoimmune disease.My father had polio as a youth.He lost then regained use of his right arm.I have had muscle problems since being a teen and am diagnosed w/Fibromyalgia,Lupus and MCTD.
I didn’t realize that there were many survivors. I wish you well in finding the support and care you all need
The estimate for PPS is probably low, since, as the article pointed out, not many doctors know about polio or PPS. Add to that the two types of polio – paralytic and non-paralytic – and you have a fairly large number of older people who actually had non-paralytic polio and but were not diagnosed with polio. No diagnosis of polio means PPS isn’t even considered when patients present with wide ranging symptoms.
I have Post Polio Syndrome, or PPS as others call it. I came down with Polio in 1953. It is not well know because of everyone believes polio is not around anymore. You can still come down with polio and also find out you have pps. Most doctors who do not know very much about the problem have missed it thinking it is MS. I have a group on Facebook “Polio is still around…help support people with it…polio and post polio”. We are a group that shares our problems and our good times with pps. We also have many people who are supports. They have friends, co-workers or family members that have polio or pps. Drop by and say hello.
Laura