True or Not?
I have a question that perhaps only a physician can answer. My mother had polio when she was a child, back in the 1940's before there was a vaccine for it. She overcame it but has had long term effects and issues from that illness. Is there any evidence to suggest that there is any link between her having Polio and me, her daughter, having MS?
Hey there, I have heard patients and family members question if there was a link between Polio & MS in the past. I found a 'scholar' article, from a study done a few years back, that states, "19 cases of multiple sclerosis were observed among 5652 polio patients."
Here is a link to the study/article with the findings, etc. Hope this helps.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10877154- Ashley Ringstaff (MultipleSclerosis.net Moderator)
Thank you Ashley! I should clarify, I have not been diagnosed with MS yet, but have several of the symptoms and getting worse. I have been questioning whether or not there is a connection or link between my mom having polio as a child and my possible MS or whatever I am experiencing. Thanks for the article, seems it is a possibility, however small it is.
Bamfan, regardless of your mom's past or present, what are You waiting for as far as finding out what's going on with you?
Do not let fear steal from you, your right and ability to take care of yourself. Find out, so whatever you have going on won't get potentially worse! My sister went for who knows how long feeling numb from her feet to her knees. To this day she can't entirely feel her feet! I woke up blind in one eye one morning and called my PCP pronto, who looked at me right away and sent me to an opthomologist, who is actually the one who suspected (diagnosed) MS. Tho' of course and MRI confirmed that.
Please let us know how you're doing!!!
Is there any relation to where one lived at a particular time of life? Colder vs warmer region? My sister, who is two years older than I, was diagnosed with MS exactly one year prior to my diagnosis. We both ended up in North Carolina at the same time for a few years and had the same neurologist in Charlotte at The MS Center. That city is hell to drive thru but it was worth it to go to a place that Only tended MS patients.
But, the doctor told my sister that it was a good chance that how ever MS works, it probably began for us when we lived in England as children. (Military fam). Anyone else ever heard something along that line? There is a large population of MS folk in the U.K. by the way.
