Home Remedies and Herbs for Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis, also known simply as polio or infantile paralysis, is a disease that affects the nerves and can lead to full or partial paralysis.¹ It is a contagious viral disease but is preventable through a vaccine.² It’s not known to affect people in the US anymore thanks to a global eradication campaign, but the virus is still present in some African countries as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan.²

What Causes Poliomyelitis?

Poliomyelitis is caused by a virus known as the poliovirus.³ This virus only infects humans but is highly contagious.³ Poliovirus is spread through person-to-person contact, such as through contact with an infected person’s feces or through droplets from a sneeze or cough.³ The most common path of infection is from feces, especially in areas where people live in unsanitary conditions.⁴ Infection can spread even before symptoms appear.³

After entering the mouth, the poliovirus multiplies in the throat and intestinal tract and spreads throughout the lymph system and blood.¹ If it enters the brain or spinal cord, paralysis can occur.³ Polio risk increases in people who have not been vaccinated and in those who have recently traveled to an area with a polio outbreak,¹

Poliomyelitis Symptoms

Poliomyelitis symptoms typically arise between 7 to 14 days after infection, though it can be anywhere from 5 to 35 days.¹ In many cases, poliomyelitis symptoms don’t develop at all.¹ There are several different stages of symptoms that occur following a poliovirus infection. These include:

• Nonparalytic Polio - Nonparalytic polio is a symptom pattern that doesn’t lead to paralysis. Instead, it produces flu-like symptoms for one to 10 days. This might include fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue, and muscle stiffness.⁵

• Paralytic Polio - Paralytic polio is the most severe form and occurs when the virus affects your brain, spinal cord, or both. In this type, poliomyelitis symptoms involve mild symptoms like fever and headache that eventually form into paralysis. Patients may experience loss of reflexes and muscle pain or weakness.⁵

• Post-Polio Syndrome - This symptom pattern occurs years after having polio for the first time--usually up to 35 years later. It produces poliomyelitis symptoms like muscle pain and weakness, fatigue, swallowing and breathing problems, cognitive issues, and mood swings or depression.⁵

Though individuals infected with the poliovirus can experience a range of symptoms, the medical term “poliomyelitis” refers to the paralytic form of the disease.³

There is no cure for polio. Therefore, poliomyelitis treatment focuses on controlling symptoms through a nutritious diet, rest, moderate exercises, breathing assistance, and pain relievers.⁶

References

1.https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001402.htm
2.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polio/basics/definition/con-20030957
3.https://www.cdc.gov/polio/about/
4.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polio/basics/causes/con-20030957
5.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polio/basics/symptoms/con-20030957
6.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polio/basics/treatment/con-20030957