MS - Recognizing Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

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Recognizing Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to have their first symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40. Usually the symptoms get better, but then come back. Some may come and go, while others linger.

The unpredictable course of MS can make it hard to get a diagnosis quickly. Keep track of your symptoms to help your doctor know whether MS or another condition is to blame.

You can manage and treat most symptoms of MS.

Whether you have a diagnosis or are worried about symptoms, know that MS doesn't have to control your life. You can work with your doctor to treat and manage your symptoms so you can stay healthy and continue to live the life you want.

Early Symptoms of MS

• Blurred or double vision
• Thinking problems
• Clumsiness or a lack of coordination
• Loss of balance
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Weakness in an arm or leg.

No two people have exactly the same symptoms of MS.

You may have a single symptom, and then go months or years without any others. A problem can also happen just one time, go away, and never return. For some people, the symptoms become worse within weeks or months.

Common Symptoms of MS

These are the most common changes to the mind and body.

Abnormal sensations: People with MS often say they feel a "pins and needles" sensation. They may also have numbness, itching, burning, stabbing, or tearing pains. About half of people with MS have these uncomfortable symptoms. Fortunately, they can be managed or treated.

Bladder problems: About 8 in 10 people have bladder problems, which can be treated. You may need to pee often, urgently, need to go at night, or have trouble emptying your bladder fully. Bowel problems, especially constipation, are also common.

Difficulty walking: MS can cause muscle weakness or spasms, which make it harder to walk. Balance problems, numb feet, and fatigue can also make walking difficult.

Dizziness: It's common to feel dizzy or lightheaded. You usually won't have vertigo, or the feeling that the room is spinning.

Fatigue: About 8 in 10 people feel very tired. It often comes on in the afternoon and causes weak muscles, slowed thinking, or sleepiness. It's usually not related to the amount of work you do. Some people with MS say they can feel tired even after a good night's sleep.

Muscle spasms: They usually affect the leg muscles. For about 40% of people they are an early symptom of MS. In progressive MS, muscle spasms affect about 6 in 10 people. You might feel mild stiffness or strong, painful muscle spasms.

Sexual difficulties: These include vaginal dryness in women and erection problems in men. Both men and women may be less responsive to touch, have a lower sex drive, or have trouble reaching orgasm.

Common Symptoms of MS continued...

Speech problems: Sometimes MS can cause people to pause a long time in between words and have slurred or nasal speech. Some people also develop swallowing problems in more advanced stages of MS.

Thinking problems: About half of people with MS have trouble concentrating that comes and goes. For most, this means slowed thinking, poor attention, or fuzzy memory. Rarely, people can have severe problems that make it hard to do daily tasks. MS usually does not change your intellect and ability to read and understand conversation.

Tremors: About half of people with MS have tremors. They can be minor shakes or make it hard to manage everyday activities.

Vision problems: Problems with your eyes tend to be one of the first symptoms. They usually affect only one eye and go away on their own. Your sight may be blurry, gray, or have a dark spot in the center. You may suddenly have eye pain and temporary vision loss.

Very rarely, people with MS may have breathing problems or seizures.

Go there...
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/multiple-sclerosis-diagnosis

Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis

There is no single test that is proof-positive for diagnosing multiple sclerosis. However, there are accepted criteria for making the diagnosis, but even this system is imperfect.

Since diagnosing MS can be very difficult, a neurologist who specializes in treating MS should evaluate your symptoms. As many as 10% of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis actually have some other condition that mimics MS. Examples of other conditions that masquerade as MS include inflammation in the blood vessels, multiple strokes, vitamin deficiency, lupus, or a brain infection. Sometimes stress-related disorders can lead to a misdiagnosis of MS.

Read More...
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/multiple-sclerosis-diagnosing?redirect=/content/article/57/66113.htm&_referer_=psychologytoday.webmd.com&orig_qs=

What Causes Multiple Sclerosis?

Doctors still don't understand what causes multiple sclerosis, but there are interesting data that suggest that genetics, a person's environment, and possibly even a virus may play a role.

How Does the Environment Affect a Person's Risk of Multiple Sclerosis?

Epidemiological data show several interesting trends regarding multiple sclerosis: Different populations and ethnic groups have a markedly different prevalence of MS. The disease is especially common in Scotland, Scandinavia, and throughout northern Europe. In the U.S. the prevalence of MS is higher in whites than in other racial groups.

Studies show that MS is more common in certain parts of the world, but if you move from an area with higher risk to one of lower risk, you acquire the risk of your new home if the move occurs prior to adolescence. Such data suggest that exposure to some environmental agent encountered before puberty may predispose a person to MS.

Moreover, MS is a disease of temperate climates. In both hemispheres, its prevalence increases with distance from the equator.

Also there have been "epidemics" of MS -- for example, the group of people living off the coast of Denmark after WWII, suggesting an environmental cause.

What Role Do Genetics Play in Multiple Sclerosis?

Read More...
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/multiple-sclerosis-causes?redirect=/content/article/57/66103.htm&_referer_=psychologytoday.webmd.com&orig_qs=

Multiple Sclerosis and Sleep

Sleep problems, or disorders, are conditions that prevent a person from getting restful sleep and as a result, cause daytime sleepiness. There are about 80 different types of sleep disorders and about 70 million Americans suffer from them. The inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep, called insomnia, is the most common sleep disorder.

Many people with multiple sclerosis complain of insomnia or broken sleep patterns, yet sleep problems may not directly be the result of the disease itself. Many sleep problems occur because of secondary factors such as stress, spasticity, inactivity, or depression that people with MS often have. Other symptoms of sleep problems may be caused by the location of MS lesions within the brain.

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People with MS often have trouble staying asleep because of spasticity, especially in the legs, or an increased need to go to the bathroom at night because of bladder problems.

Read More...
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/taking-control-sleep

The Impact of Temperature on Multiple Sclerosis

Heat or high humidity can make many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a temporary worsening of their symptoms. Doctors believe that this occurs because heat causes nerves (whose myelin covering has been destroyed from MS) to conduct electrical signals even less efficiently. Most people with MS avoid hot baths, hot showers, and heated swimming pools and prefer cool climates.

For reasons that are not well understood, extremely cold temperatures and changes in temperature can also cause MS symptoms, usually spasticity, to flare.

Read More...
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/impact-temperature

Multiple Sclerosis Guide

1

Overview & Causes

2

Symptoms & Types

3

Diagnosis & Tests

4

Treatment & Care

5

Living & Managing

6

Support & Resources

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