Today, there are many different diseases that people rarely encounter. However, the state continues to vaccinate children. So, poliomyelitis: what kind of disease is it, what are its features and is it necessary to vaccinate babies from this disease today? Let's talk about this further.
Basic information about the disease
First you need to understand what exactly will be discussed. Polio - what kind of disease is this? Initially, it should be noted that this is an infectious disease. It is caused by an intestinal virus that lives in the human body in the intestine or throat. But his danger is that he is able to affect the spinal cord and brain. It should also be noted that poliomyelitis in the people has a different name - childhood spinal paralysis. They mostly suffer from babies aged from several months to 6 years. The muscles of the child are most often affected.
Transmission methods
Polio - what is this disease, how is it transmitted?
This is a highly contagious disease. Methods of transmission of infection :
- by air;
- through dirty hands;
- with water or food;
- along with feces (for example, when changing a diaper for a baby).
The virus enters the human body through the respiratory tract - nose or mouth, from where it moves directly into the small intestine. There he settles during the incubation period. After that, the virus enters the bloodstream, where antibodies against it must be developed. In the bulk of cases this happens. The child suffers the disease, after which he develops a lifelong stable immunity to this problem.
It is important to note that the virus itself is very tenacious. In the external environment, it can be stored for six months, tolerates both drying and freezing.
A bit of history
This childhood disease (polio) was considered the scourge of mankind until the middle of the last century. Especially often, it hit the inhabitants of Europe, causing a huge number of child deaths. However, in the 50s, scientists managed to invent an effective vaccine, and poliomyelitis ceased to be a deadly disease. In the territory of the former Soviet Union, doctors completely dealt with this problem already before 1961. However, some time ago, in 2010, a new polio outbreak was recorded in Tajikistan, where almost 700 people were immediately ill. At the same time, 26 cases were fatal. At the same time, the virus entered the territory of Russia, where it now infects unvaccinated children from time to time.
About the living and non-living virus
What diseases does polio replenish? Infectious diseases, which are characterized by formidable complications and can be fatal. That is why recently, doctors have strongly advised parents to vaccinate children. But there is one caveat. The poliomyelitis virus that has entered the territory of the state is considered “wild”. And those vaccines that were used earlier, with this virus are ineffective.
Until 2014, a vaccine with non-living cell structures was used. It was called inactivated. Now scientists agree that such prevention is ineffective. That is why it is now more important to use a "live" vaccine. At the same time, pediatricians note that two vaccinations that are given before the first year of life will be carried out as yet inactivated with the drug, as was done before.
About the dangers of a "live vaccine"
The name "live vaccine" often scares many parents. After all, no one wants to infect their child deliberately. Is it really dangerous, as it might seem at first glance? Doctors say that the risk of a disease after such a vaccination is completely absent. Moreover, it also protects against all complications, as the body becomes resistant to all strains of the virus. But still, children with HIV infection and those who have weakened immunity from birth are not vaccinated with this vaccine.
About the curability of the disease
What else do you need to know about a disease like polio? Each patient has a medical history. After all, it all depends on how it flowed.
- In most cases, and this is more than 90%, polio is asymptomatic. The child does not feel anything, his activity is at the usual level. Moreover, such children are carriers of the disease.
- In about 5% of cases, the baby may feel mildly unwell. It can be muscle weakness, loss of strength.
- In about 1-2% of cases, children develop poliomyelitis with meningitis, which, by the way, does not lead to paralysis.
- And in less than 1% of cases, babies have paralysis.
Doctors also argue that after paralysis, the child can recover both partially and completely. This will happen approximately a year after recovery. During this time, the baby may bounce back.
About types of illness
Having figured out what poliomyelitis is, what kind of disease it is, it is necessary to consider the main forms of the disease. There are three of them, they differ in clinical pictures.
- Abortive form. It occurs most often. Symptoms are similar to other diseases. It manifests itself acutely, the symptoms disappear after 3-5 days. In this case, poliomyelitis is not immediately diagnosed, because the clinical picture is very similar to the flu, colds, intestinal disorders.
- Meningeal form. The course of this type of disease is more severe, because the membrane of the brain is affected, where the virus penetrates.
- Paralytic form. In this case, motor neurons of the spinal cord, and in rare cases, the brain, are affected.
Symptoms vary depending on the type of disease.
Symptoms of polio
How is poliomyelitis manifested? Symptoms - this is what helps to recognize a dangerous ailment. As mentioned above, it is most often the abortive form of the disease. In this case, everything begins very sharply: the temperature rises, there may be a slight cough and nasal congestion. There is also increased sweating, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. But it should be noted that in even more cases, the child practically does not feel anything and the disease for the baby passes unnoticed and without consequences.
With a meningial form, everything is much more complicated and dangerous. When the inflammatory process affects the lining of the patient’s brain, severe headaches can occur that cannot be removed with medications. Vomiting often occurs in patients, which is completely unrelated to food intake and as a result does not bring the desired relief. Doctors also sometimes diagnose other meningeal symptoms.
The most dangerous and severe is considered to be the paralytic form of poliomyelitis. However, it is rare. Symptoms depend on the course of the disease:
- In the spinal version, the patient will have peripheral paralysis of the sluggish course, which in this case can asymmetrically cover the limbs. There are also muscle pains, muscle tremors, urinary incontinence, or constipation.
- Bulbar palsy is the most dangerous. With this form, the part of the spinal cord that is responsible for the respiratory and cardiovascular systems is affected. Symptoms may include: nasal congestion, shortness of breath, speech problems, psychomotor agitation, increased or decreased blood pressure. It should also be noted that if with this variant of the disease the patient is not provided with proper medical care, everything can end in death in 2-3 days.
- The pontine variant is characterized in that in this case the nucleus of the facial nerve is affected. The forecast is favorable.
External manifestation of the disease
What does polio disease look like? Photos of patients are very different. It all depends on the form of the disease. As already mentioned above, most often this problem does not affect the appearance of the patient at all. Sometimes there may be atrophy of the muscles of the back or face, which will last a lifetime. In rare cases, children become disabled. So polio disease can be very different, a photo of patients is another confirmation of this. It is impossible to treat the problem simply and nonchalantly, even if the percentage of severe cases is very low.
About vaccination
What should be done so as not to get polio? Doctors advise all children to get vaccinated on time. There are two ways:
- With an inactivated vaccine. In this case, the child is given an injection.
- With a live attenuated vaccine, which is administered through the mouth as drops. They have a light salty aftertaste.
After the procedure, the body acquires persistent immunity from polio. The child will never be infected.
Often parents ask pediatricians the question: "Is it possible to be vaccinated after an illness from polio or not?" The answer is unequivocal: no. Why so? Everything is simple. A person can acquire immunity to polio in two cases:
- after vaccination;
- after the illness.
So vaccination against polio after an illness is a completely useless action. And any doctor will not vaccinate a patient who has already been ill.
Diagnosis of the disease
How can this disease be recognized? In most cases, this can not be done with a simple examination, relying on only one symptoms. Doctors make the final diagnosis only after laboratory tests. In the first couple of weeks, the virus can be "seen" in the secretions from the nasopharynx, after which time the virus is identified in the feces. Other research materials are blood, cerebrospinal fluid.
Disease treatment
We figured out how much after the disease can be vaccinated against polio (and whether it is necessary), what are the features of the disease. Next, I want to talk about how to deal with this problem. Initially, it should be noted that it is categorically impossible to be treated at home for polio, regardless of the form of the disease. Folk methods will not help in this case either. Only medical assistance will give the desired effect.
There is no single cure for polio, doctors help the patient in a complex, using different medications along with physiotherapeutic procedures. This significantly speeds up the healing process of patients. What medications are relevant in this case:
- The drug "Paracetamol". It has both antipyretic and analgesic effects.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin.
- If there are problems with stool, laxatives and rehydration agents may be prescribed. These are medications such as Regidron or Smecta.
Along with this, various physiotherapeutic procedures will be very useful, the purpose of which is to restore the functionality of the limbs. During the acute phase, special pillows are placed under the joints for patients, which do not allow parts of the body to deform. Tires may be applied to reduce pain. At a certain stage of recovery, patients can rigidly fix the limbs to stabilize the work and restore shape, and not only to reduce pain, as is done at the stage of the acute course of the disease.
If we talk about physiotherapy, then in this case the following procedures may be useful:
- hydrotherapy, or treatment with water;
- magnetotherapy, when the body is affected by magnetic fields;
- electrical stimulation is the excitation of muscles using low-frequency current;
- physical exercises of varying complexity.
What else do you need to know about a problem like polio? The patient history is different, it all depends on the form of the course of the disease, the individual characteristics of the body, immunity and the correctness of treatment.
Nuances important for polio
Having figured out whether it is possible to be vaccinated against polio after an illness, and how the disease generally proceeds, it should be noted that bed rest is very important with this problem. First of all, it is needed in order to reduce the risk of developing a paralytic form. Secondly, it provides optimal conditions for the work of a weakened organism. As for nutrition, there are no strict restrictions. If there is a malfunction in the intestines, then you need to adjust the diet, consuming exclusively boiled or steamed dishes.
The consequences and complications of the disease
What is the danger of polio? The consequences of the disease with this viral problem can be very different. So, among the complications most often happens:
- Respiratory failure. Occurs with damage to the respiratory muscles.
- Myocarditis (an inflammatory process in the heart muscle) that interferes with the functioning of the heart.
- Various bowel lesions. Intestinal obstruction, bleeding, indigestion may develop.
All these complications are very dangerous and can cause death.
What diseases can occur after polio? The most diverse - from acute respiratory viral infections and tonsillitis to intestinal disorders. In most cases, this is not directly related to the disease, rather the reason is in weakened immunity. But there is also such a thing as post-polio syndrome. It is characterized by:
- muscle weakness and pain;
- fast fatiguability;
- gait disturbance;
- swallowing disorders;
- dyspnea.
This is a neurological ailment that can occur even 10 years after a disease suffered in childhood. The exact cause of its occurrence is still unknown to doctors.