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How Do You Diagnose Polio?
How do you diagnose polio? In order to make a polio diagnosis, the doctor will ask the patient for a medical history and perform a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms of polio. The doctor will also order certain tests before making a polio diagnosis. These tests will look for the virus or antibodies the body has made against the poliovirus. In order to perform these polio tests, a stool sample or a throat swab may be taken.
In order to make a polio diagnosis, the doctor will ask a number of questions about your:
- Symptoms
- Current medical conditions
- Current medications
- Family history of medical conditions.
The doctor will also perform a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms of polio.
In order to make a polio diagnosis, the doctor will order certain tests that will look for the virus or antibodies the body has made against the poliovirus. In order to perform these polio tests, a stool sample or a throat swab may be taken.
There are many diseases and conditions that have symptoms similar to those of polio. These include:
- Bite from a snake (such as a cobra)
- Poisoning
- Diphtheria
- Myasthenia gravis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Transverse myelitis
- Tick paralysis
- Rabies
- Botulism.
The doctor will consider these conditions before making a polio diagnosis.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD