Will polio recur after recovery?

Polio is a very common pediatric disease. Many parents are worried about recurrences while actively treating their children. So will polio recur after recovery? In fact, polio generally cannot be completely cured and will leave sequelae to children, but it will not recur. Let us take a look at the symptoms of this disease.

1. Prodromal stage.

The main symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, sweating, irritability and systemic hyperesthesia; nausea, vomiting, headache, sore throat, constipation, diffuse abdominal pain, rhinitis, cough, pharyngeal exudate, diarrhea, etc. can also be seen, lasting 1 to 4 days. If the disease does not progress, it is a setback type.

2. Early stage of paralysis.

Most patients enter this stage from the prodromal stage, while a few enter this stage with fever again a few days after the prodromal symptoms disappear. It is also possible to start from this stage without prodromal symptoms. The child has high fever and headache. Pain in the neck, back, and limbs, which worsens when moving or changing positions. At the same time, there are excited states such as sweating, red skin, irritability, and positive neurological signs such as meningeal irritation signs. Small babies refuse to be held, and physical examinations of older babies can show: ① Tripod sign, that is, when the patient sits up, he needs to support his position with his hands on the bed like a tripod; ② The positive kiss knee test means that the patient cannot touch his knees when sitting up and bending his neck; ③ Head drop sign, that is, put your hands under the patient's shoulders and lift his trunk. In normal cases, the head is parallel to the trunk. At this time, the cerebrospinal fluid is abnormal, showing the phenomenon of cell protein separation. If the disease stops here and the fever subsides after 3 to 5 days, it is a non-paralysis type. If the disease continues to progress, tendon reflex changes often appear 12 to 24 hours before paralysis. Initially, it is a superficial reflex, followed by deep tendon reflex inhibition. Therefore, early detection of reflex changes has important clinical diagnostic value.

3. Paralysis period.

Clinically, this stage cannot be completely separated from the pre-paralysis stage. Generally, asymmetric muscle weakness or flaccid paralysis occurs 2 to 7 days after onset or 1 to 2 days after the second fever. It worsens with fever and no longer progresses after the fever subsides. There is usually no sensory impairment, and bowel and bladder dysfunction is rare. According to the location of the lesion, it can be divided into the following types.

(1) Spinal cord type This type is the most common. It is characterized by flaccid paralysis, asymmetry, loss of tendon reflexes, and decreased muscle tone. The lower limbs and large muscle groups are more susceptible to involvement than the upper limbs and small muscle groups. However, only a single muscle group may be affected or all four limbs may be paralyzed. For example, when the neck and back muscles, diaphragm, and intercostal muscles are involved, there will be difficulties in combing the hair and sitting up, respiratory movement disorders, and paradoxical breathing.

(2) The medullary type is also called the bulbar type. It is caused by the invasion of the motor nuclei of the cranial nerves and the respiratory and circulatory centers of the medulla oblongata. This type is less common. When the respiratory center is damaged, irregular breathing and respiratory arrest occur; when the vascular motor center is damaged, there may be changes in blood pressure and pulse rate. Both are fatal diseases. When the cranial nerves are damaged, corresponding nerve paralysis symptoms and signs appear, with facial nerve and Xth cranial nerve damage being the most common.

(3) Cerebral type This type is rare. It is characterized by high fever, irritability, convulsions or drowsiness and coma, and upper motor neuron spastic paralysis.

(4) Mixed type: The above types exist simultaneously.

4. Recovery period.

Generally, paralysis begins to recover from the distal end of the limbs 1 to 2 weeks after paralysis and lasts for several weeks to months. Most cases can recover completely within 8 months, while severe cases may take 6 to 18 months or longer.

5. Sequelae period.

In severe cases, the affected muscles atrophy and nerve function cannot be restored, resulting in deformities of the affected limbs. In some cases of partial paralysis, progressive neuromuscular weakness and pain occur decades after infection, and paralysis of the affected limbs worsens. This is called "post-polio muscular atrophy syndrome," and the cause is unknown.

The above is an introduction to whether polio will relapse after recovery. We clearly understand that polio cannot be completely cured, but it will not relapse. If you want to know more about polio, you should go to a professional hospital for consultation.