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
J. Keith FestaThe 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.
Marny K. Eulberg et al.Examples of post-polio syndrome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In recent years he's suffered from post-polio syndrome -- difficulty swallowing and tightness and pain in his limbs.
—Arthur Allen, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
He is disabled, with post-polio syndrome and nerve damage to his spinal cord.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 July 2025
Similarly, people infected with polio in childhood, even those who escaped its worst effects, may get stricken decades later with post-polio syndrome, a debilitating muscle weakness.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024
Topol noted that people who survived the 1918 influenza pandemic had an elevated risk of developing Parkinson’s disease years later, while some people who had polio in the first half of the 20th century developed a constellation of symptoms known as post-polio syndrome decades afterward.
—Amy Goldstein, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2023
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
This is known as post-polio syndrome.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022
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Arthur Allen, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
He is disabled, with post-polio syndrome and nerve damage to his spinal cord.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 July 2025
Similarly, people infected with polio in childhood, even those who escaped its worst effects, may get stricken decades later with post-polio syndrome, a debilitating muscle weakness.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024
Topol noted that people who survived the 1918 influenza pandemic had an elevated risk of developing Parkinson’s disease years later, while some people who had polio in the first half of the 20th century developed a constellation of symptoms known as post-polio syndrome decades afterward.
—Amy Goldstein, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2023
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
This is known as post-polio syndrome.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Post-polio syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/post-polio%20syndrome. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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