Poliomyelitis

If you have symptoms of polio, contact a healthcare provider. The healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms and whether you have traveled recently.

Because polio symptoms look a lot like flu symptoms, the healthcare provider may order tests to rule out more common viral conditions.

To confirm polio, a healthcare provider will take a small sample of:

Cerebrospinal fluid (liquid around the brain and spinal cord).

Saliva from your throat.

Stool (poop).

The healthcare team will look at the sample under a microscope to identify poliovirus.

Doctors can only treat the symptoms while the infection runs its course. But since there’s no cure, the best way to treat polio is to prevent it with vaccinations.

The most common supportive treatments include:

bed rest

painkillers

antispasmodic drugs to relax muscles

antibiotics for urinary tract infections

portable ventilators to help with breathing

physical therapy or corrective braces to help with walking

heating pads or warm towels to ease muscle aches and spasms

physical therapy to treat pain in the affected muscles

physical therapy to address breathing and pulmonary problems

pulmonary rehabilitation to increase lung endurance