What You Need To Know About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that causes the body to attack and destroy the myelin sheaths around the nerves in the central nervous system. Without protection and in the presence of the resulting scar tissue, the nerves cannot function properly, resulting in a number of health issues. It’s estimated that approximately one million Americans are living with MS.

What Is MS?

Damage to the protective sheaths, which is called demyelination, leads to reduced impulse conduction along the nerve fibers. This interrupts the signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. Over time, MS can cause a permanent damage and deterioration, affecting a patient’s overall health and quality of life.

MS is chronic condition and unfortunately, does not yet have a cure. Similarly, the cause of MS is unknown, although it may have a genetic link. However, most MS patients have a normal life expectancy, which isn’t shortened by complications from the disease. There are treatments available and lifestyle changes that can make MS manageable.

There can also be a single incidence of an autoimmune attack on the nervous system called Clinically Isolated Syndrome. A diagnosis of MS is only considered when these attacks happen often.

Early Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis depend on what nerve is affected and vary across patients. Some patients have mild symptoms while others are more severe. Most people receive a diagnosis between 20 and 50 years old.

Common signs and symptoms include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Visual problems, including double vision, blurriness, vision loss, and pain behind the eye
• Tingling and numbness
• Muscle weakness and spasticity
• Tremors
• Vertigo and dizziness
• Chronic neuropathic pain that feels like stabbing, burning, pins and needles, or squeezing
• Musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck, and joints
• Bowel and bladder dysfunction

Treatment Options

Unfortunately, there is no cure for MS and is therefore managed through treatment. Some of the common medications used include:

• Muscle relaxants to help with pain and spasms
• Disease-Modifying Agents for MS (DMAMS) such as Interferons, Monoclonal Antibodies, and Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators
• Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and speed up recovery after a flare-up

Other management tools include:

• Stretching and exercise
• Physical therapy
• Eating a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet
• Oleic acid, according to recent studies

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of MS or you have a family history of the disease, make an appointment with your family doctor to discuss your concerns. An early diagnosis can help reduce the severity and onset of symptoms, resulting in a high quality of life.