Paralytic polio can lead to temporary or permanent muscle paralysis, disability, and deformities of the hips, ankles and feet. Although many deformities can be corrected with surgery and physical therapy, these treatments often aren't options in developing nations where polio is still endemic. As a result, children who survive polio may spend their lives with severe disabilities.
Other complications of polio involve the lungs, kidneys and heart and may include :
- Pulmonary edema. Potentially life-threatening, this occurs when increased pressure in the lungs' blood vessels forces fluid into the air sacs, filling the lungs with fluid and preventing them from absorbing oxygen.
- Aspiration pneumonia. This inflammation of the lungs and bronchial tubes results when you inhale foreign material usually stomach contents into your lungs. Although many factors can cause aspiration pneumonia, it's most often a complication of polio, which can impair muscles that control swallowing.
- Urinary tract infections. These infections begin when bacteria enter your bladder through the urinary tract and can permanently damage your kidneys if not treated promptly.
- Kidney stones. Kidney stones usually form when your urine becomes too concentrated, causing minerals and other substances in urine to form crystals in your kidneys. Over time, these crystals may combine to form a small, hard mass, or stone. If a stone stays inside your kidney, it can become so large it blocks the flow of urine, which causes pressure and pain and the risk of kidney damage, bleeding and infection. Untreated smaller stones may cause ongoing urinary tract infection or kidney damage.
- Intestinal obstruction (paralytic ileus). This is a blockage of your bowel that prevents food and fluid from passing through. Minor blockages may cause bloating and a distended abdomen, but more-serious obstructions can lead to life-threatening complications.
- Myocarditis. In this condition, the thick muscular layer of your heart (myocardium) becomes inflamed, leading to chest pain, an abnormal heartbeat or congestive heart failure, which occurs when your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. Blood clots also may form in the heart, leading to a stroke or heart attack.
- Cor pulmonale. The result of prolonged high blood pressure in the veins or arteries in your lungs, cor pulmonale occurs when the right side of your heart can't pump hard enough to compete with the lungs' increased blood pressure.
The above information thankfully comes from the Mayo Clinic.com at the following link.