What Life Was Like Trapped Inside an Iron Lung (Video)

This video looks into the life saving device called the "Iron lung" and how it can help people who can't breath on their own, get oxygen in their lungs, but it comes at a cost.

“For those who found themselves needing to be placed inside an iron lung, the experience could be bewildering, unfamiliar and even downright frightening especially for the number of young children who were unfortunate enough to contract polio.”

“Perhaps more worrying though, around 3/4 of all polio cases were asymptomatic, meaning a person might not be able to tell if they contracted it until it was too late.”

“ . . . then all of a sudden you’re struck with a terrifying sensation of being totally breathless. Your lung muscles have been left paralyzed and you’re left gasping for air.”

For more information - look in the Index in Polio History for Iron Lung.