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Polio: the legacy of the past with the symptoms and treatment

Polio – the disease is not so common as a century ago, but has not lost its deterrent actions, presented lesions of the nervous system of the spinal cord. The second name of the disease — spinal infantile paralysis.

Polio was originally considered a disease of children, but this does not mean that they can't get sick of a grown up man. Just note, that for the adult the disease is much more severe.

Symptoms of the disease

After getting the virus in the body begins the incubation period, which can occur up to a month, although on average only two weeks. In disease share two forms, paralytic and it nephrolitiasis.

The first form develops in the patient and takes place in several stages, which can be described as, preparelc, paralysis, recovery and residual symptoms.

In the first stage, which lasts no more than 5 days, an acute onset of the disease, which is characterized by a strong increase in body temperature. First, you can diagnose the nausea and runny nose, sometimes sore throat, may occur and eating disorders, as in cases of poisoning.

All these symptoms are quite universal, and is credited with ARI, but not polio. The first difference may be the fact that all the symptoms can dramatically disappear for a few days, and then go back again, but with more severe pain and the beginning of the pains in the limbs and joints, sometimes the patient may complain of dizziness.

The second stage is developing incredibly quickly, almost in a few hours. The patient feels like the limb is accelerated decrease in muscle tone, movement limiting, and sometimes completely stop.

Most often in paralysis of the lower limbs fall, however, when not excluded poliomyelitis and paralysis of the arms, neck torso. With the fall of muscle tone, the patient begins to experience muscle pain. This stage can occur from several days to 15 days.

The third stage is the recovery period the longest it can last for months to 2-3 years. At first it can be observed how in the paralyzed muscle is the restoration of function in accelerated mode, but the recovery is slowing.

And last stage, stage – residual effects. At this stage there is atrophy of muscles, deformation of the trunk and flaccid paralysis of hands and feet.

As for the second form, talking about nephrolithiasis form, the disease occurs with symptoms of mild fever, sometimes cough, sore, sore throat. You may experience diarrhea. However, all these symptoms are quite transient and may disappear withinjust a few days.

Treatment

To date, there is no universal and specific antiviral drug for the treatment it poliomyelitis. Infected people today is simply placed in a special box the infectious diseases hospital, where he is in isolation for 40 days.

To 3 weeks the patient may be prescribed bed rest. Therapy in the treatment of poliomyelitis is aimed at lowering the temperature, also used a course of vitamins:

  • ascorbic acid,
  • b vitamins

If the paralysis affects the respiratory tract of a patient connected to a breathing apparatus, tripling ventilation.

The enormous importance of the procedure of the recovery period when it is necessary to neutralize the effects of paralysis. This is about the special exercises, therapeutic massage, physical education. With the patient should work with a professional massage therapist and kinesitherapist.

During the period of the residual phenomena necessarily orthopedic treatment, which should adjust the deformation of the body.

Prevention of polio

First and foremost, prevention involves complete disinfection of the infection site. Processing is subjected to the room in which the patient, bed linen, household items.

The child, if he was in contact with the sick person, is required to be in quarantine for 2-3 weeks.

You can specify that the only effective means of preventing polio vaccination remains. Vaccination of children is carried out in several stages, and divided into three doses, the last of which is introduced already at the age of 14, and the first in the first months of life.

Despite the dangerous consequences of vaccinations in the form of side effects, it is necessary to understand that without vaccination the child remains vulnerable to an incredibly dangerous viral disease, treatment of which is still there.