post-polio syndrome

noun

post-po·​lio syndrome ˌpōs(t)-ˈpō-lē-ˌō- 

variants or less commonly postpolio syndrome

: a condition that affects former polio patients long after recovery from the disease and that is characterized by muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue

The signs and symptoms of post-polio syndrome can include the onset of new muscle weakness in either affected or unaffected limbs.

—J. Keith Festa

The development of postpolio syndrome appears to be time-related, occurring between 25 and 40 years after recovery from the initial bout of infection.

—Marny K. Eulberg et al.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

This is known as post-polio syndrome. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022

What is post-polio syndrome? —Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 21 July 2022

To add insult to injury, some children went on to develop post-polio syndrome decades later, which can include muscle weakness, joint pain and feelings of mental and physical fatigue. —Syra Madad, CNN, 13 Aug. 2022

Even children who seem to recover can suffer from post-polio syndrome years later as adults, which can include muscle pain, weakness, muscle atrophy and joint pain. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 1 Dec. 2022

For more information on post-polio syndrome, visit Post-Polio Health International. —Andrea Kane, CNN, 20 Aug. 2022

People can develop post-polio syndrome decades after infection. —Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2022

Decades after an infection, as many as half of survivors may experience progressive muscular weakness and pain, known as post-polio syndrome. —Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2022

Even those who recover can have symptoms like muscle weakness and paralysis return years later in a long-lasting condition known as post-polio syndrome. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

post-polio syndrome

noun

: a condition that affects former polio patients long after recovery from the disease and that is characterized by muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue