Polio
Overview
Polio is a serious infection that's now very rare because of the vaccination programme. It's only found in a few countries and the chance of getting it in the UK is extremely low.
Symptoms
Most people who get polio do not have symptoms. Some people get mild, flu-like symptoms, such as: a high temperatureextreme tiredness (fatigue)headachesbeing sick (vomiting)a stiff neckmuscle pain These symptoms usually last up to 10 days. Rarely, polio can lead to more serious symptoms that affect the brain and nerves, such as weakness in your muscles (paralysis), usually in the legs. This can happen over hours or days. If the paralysis affects the muscles used for breathing, it can be life threatening. Most people will recover, and movement will slowly come back over the next few weeks. Some people can be left with permanent disability.
Treatment
There is no treatment for polio, but some types of care will help lower the risk of long-term problems. This can include: bed rest in hospitalpainkillershelp with breathingregular stretches and exercises to prevent problems with your muscles and joints You may need to have specialist help such asphysiotherapyor surgery if you have any long-term problems caused by polio.