Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a disabling and potentially life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. It can be transmitted from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, which in severe cases can cause them to become paralysed. In other cases, it can cause mobility issues where the individual may need the use of WAV Vehicles like the ones from clarkemobility.com/ to allow them to get around.
Due to the vaccination programme that was rolled out many years ago in the UK, the chances of catching the virus in this country are very slim. Equally, no one has been paralysed due to the polio virus since 1984.
Many people who contract the virus won’t experience any symptoms, and for some, it will appear as mild flu-like symptoms, such as a sore throat, fever, headache and tiredness. There are, however, some people who will have severe symptoms. These can include a feeling of pins and needles in the body, meningitis and in the most severe of cases, paralysis.
The treatments for Polio include rest, painkillers, stretching to help with joint and muscle pain and, in some cases, a stay in hospital for monitoring. Lifelong problems can arise from having had the infection, and these can include muscle weakness and issues with the joints.
