![]() It occurs in up to 25 out of 100 people who have MS. Optic neuritis-sudden loss of vision that is often painful-is a fairly common first symptom. Visual symptoms, such as blurred, foggy, or hazy vision, eyeball pain (especially when you move your eyes), blindness, or double vision. ![]() Muscle or motor symptoms, such as weakness, leg dragging, stiffness, a tendency to drop things, a feeling of heaviness, clumsiness, or a lack of coordination ( ataxia).Symptoms may become worse with increased body temperature or after a viral infection. Symptoms may come and go or become more or less severe from day to day or, in rare cases, from hour to hour. Myelin is the insulating coating around a nerve. The loss of myelin and scarring caused by MS can affect any part of the central nervous system. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) vary from person to person depending on which parts of the brain or spinal cord (central nervous system) are damaged. And finding a support group where you can talk to other people who have MS can be very helpful. You may be depressed, which can be treated. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to your doctor. You can also help yourself at home by eating balanced meals, getting regular exercise and rest, and learning to use your energy wisely.ĭealing with the physical and emotional demands of MS isn't easy. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy can help you manage some physical problems caused by MS. Treatment and self-care can help you maintain your quality of life. You and your doctor will decide together when you should start any of these drugs. The drugs may not work for everyone, and they often have side effects. You may find it hard to decide when to start taking the drugs that slow the progression of MS. (This is called disease-modifying therapy.) Over a long period of time, to keep down the number of attacks and how severe they are and to slow the progression of the disease.During a relapse, to make the attack shorter and less severe.An MRI is often used to confirm the diagnosis, because the patches of damage (lesions) caused by MS attacks can be seen with this test. The doctor will examine you, ask you questions about your symptoms, and do some tests. MS is not diagnosed unless a doctor can be sure that you have had at least two attacks affecting at least two different areas of your central nervous system. And many of the symptoms can be caused by problems other than MS. You may feel light-headed or dizzy or feel like you're spinning.ĭiagnosing MS isn't always easy. You may feel a band of tightness around your trunk or limbs. You may feel tingling, a pins-and-needles sensation, or numbness. You may have eyeball pain (especially when you move your eyes), blindness, or double vision. You may feel weak and stiff, and your limbs may feel heavy. Symptoms depend on which parts of the brain and spinal cord are damaged and how bad the damage is. MS is more common in those who grew up in colder regions that are farther away from the equator. There may be a genetic link, because the disease seems to run in families. In MS, the immune system attacks the central nervous system-the brain and spinal cord.Įxperts don't know why MS happens to some people but not others. In this kind of disease, the body's defences, called the immune system, mistakenly attack normal tissues. The exact cause is unknown, but most experts believe that MS is an autoimmune disease. Progressive relapsing, where the symptoms are progressive at first and are relapsing later.Primary progressive, where the disease is progressive from the start."Progressive" means it steadily gets worse. Secondary progressive, which at first follows a relapsing-remitting course and then becomes progressive.Relapsing-remitting, where symptoms fade and then return off and on for many years.Generally, MS follows one of four courses: You may go through life with only minor problems. These patches of damage are called lesions. MS gradually destroys myelin in patches throughout the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness and other symptoms. Without myelin, the brain and spinal cord can't communicate with the nerves in the rest of the body. Your nerve cells have a protective covering called myelin. It can cause problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling, and thinking. Multiple sclerosis, often called MS, is a disease that affects the central nervous system-the brain and spinal cord. Topic Overview What is multiple sclerosis?
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