Surveillance becomes more important, so health officials can prove polio is gone. The world must be polio-free at least three years before the disease is declared eradicated. And then there's battle fatigue. About half of the estimated 1 million U.S. polio survivors report new weakness, fatigue and pain, intolerance of heat or cold, trouble breathing and sleep disturbances. Although doctors don't understand the cause, many attribute the syndrome to overuse of muscles that compensated for those damaged and atrophied by the polio virus.
Symptoms are most common in the lower extremities, but they can occur anywhere.
They should make lifestyle adjustments to avoid stresses such as heavy lifting, becoming overly fatigued at work and gaining weight excessively. What Doctors Can Do The syndrome isn't well understood or easy to diagnose. A medical evaluation includes reviewing the patient's polio history and ruling out other illnesses, as well as gait analysis and sleep analysis to check for nighttime respiratory problems. Braces, orthotics, canes or other devices can add support or enhance muscle function. Medication can help with pain and fatigue.