Has There Been Any Research on the Effects Polio had on the Digestive System?

Question: Why does no one ever address the problems that polio caused to the digestive system? I had polio when I was 6 years old and have had problems with my digestive system ever since. Has there been any research on the effects polio had on the digestive system?

A: While there are many polio survivors who complain of heartburn and GERD symptoms, there is no evidence to support the idea that these problems are more common than among people of the same age without a history of polio. You are the first polio survivor that I know of that has experienced “stomach digestive problems” ever since their original polio. You don’t indicate how severely affected by polio you were or if your breathing muscles were affected greatly or if you have scoliosis. Some of the secondary complications of more severe polio paralysis can contribute to digestive problems because of inactivity/immobility and/or weakness of abdominal wall vs. diaphragm muscles. There is no evidence that the poliovirus had a direct damaging effect on the digestive system organs, and symptoms or problems would need to be managed in the same way that they would in anyone, with the exception of any need to modify treatments because of significant disability. Research on the subject isn’t being done because of the absence of plausible hypotheses for why polio would have directly affected the GI system.

Post-Polio Health (Vol. 31, No. 3, Summer 2015)