Question: I am a 74-year-old polio survivor. I have facial nerve involvement with paralysis of the right side of my face. Now I have problems with chewing, so I have to use a hand under my mandible to push it up. I have also started having laryngospasms with severe inspiratory stridor which has resulted in calling the EMS twice. Have you seen or heard of patients with these problems with post-polio syndrome? Could you advise me on how to deal with these problems?
Dr. Maynard: Facial nerve weakness from polio is a well-known, although not common, aspect of bulbar polio. New later-life problems with chewing might be from further weakening of facial muscles but laryngospasms are a sign of aspiration from weakness of the throat muscles that protect the larynx and airways during swallowing. Dysphagia, or trouble swallowing, is a common new symptom among bulbar polio survivors. Given the severity of your laryngospasms, you urgently need a swallowing study (barium videofluoroscopy) and evaluation by a speech language pathologist and ENT physician to determine your best options for management to prevent choking complications, such as aspiration pneumonia or life-threatening laryngospasms.
Post-Polio Health (Vol. 37, No. 4, Winter 2021)