How does multiple sclerosis affect daily life?

How does multiple sclerosis affect daily life?

Sometimes people with MS have problems with memory, concentration, problem-solving, and/or other cognitive functions. These symptoms are usually caused directly by the disease’s damage to myelin and the nerve cells. However, cognitive symptoms can also be indirectly affected by depression, anxiety, stress, or fatigue.

What triggers multiple sclerosis?

The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. It’s considered an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. In the case of MS , this immune system malfunction destroys the fatty substance that coats and protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord (myelin).

What is the best treatment for MS?

For primary-progressive MS , ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) is the only FDA-approved disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Those who receive this treatment are slightly less likely to progress than those who are untreated. For relapsing-remitting MS , several disease-modifying therapies are available.

Can you work with multiple sclerosis?

You can work with MS. Many people who have it stay in their job for years after they’re diagnosed. It varies greatly from person to person. In time, you may need to ask for accommodations so you can continue there.

What is the average lifespan of someone with multiple sclerosis?

Average life span of 25 to 35 years after the diagnosis of MS is made are often stated. Some of the most common causes of death in MS patients are secondary complications resulting from immobility, chronic urinary tract infections, compromised swallowing and breathing.

Should I tell my employer I have multiple sclerosis?

You are not required to say that you have MS. However, if the information you provide is not sufficient to determine that you have a qualified disability under the ADA, your employer has the right to ask for more detailed information — which may lead to disclosure of your diagnosis.

How does MS affect a woman sexually?

Sexual function with MS Among women, difficulty achieving orgasm is most commonly reported, but decreased desire for sexual activity, difficulty with arousal (such as decreased lubrication) and pain during sexual activity also occur. MS can affect sexual function both directly and indirectly.

Can you get MS from kissing?

There is no evidence that multiple sclerosis undergoes transmission person-to-person. Consequently, the disease is not considered to be contagious so other people cannot catch it from any person with MS they may come in contact with.

What are the signs of MS in adults?

Some of the most common symptoms include:

• fatigue.
• vision problems.
• numbness and tingling.
• muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness.
• mobility problems.
• pain.
• problems with thinking, learning and planning.
• depression and anxiety.

What is brain fog with MS?

Cog fog, or MS-related brain fog, affects many people living with MS. In fact, it’s estimated that more than half of people living with MS will develop cognitive issues like difficulty understanding conversations, thinking critically, or recalling memories. MS-ers call this symptom “cog fog” — short for cognitive fog.

Can MS cause personality changes?

MS can cause significant anxiety, distress, anger, and frustration from the moment of its very first symptoms. The uncertainty and unpredictability associated with MS is one of its most distressing aspects. In fact, anxiety is at least as common in MS as depression.

Does multiple sclerosis affect memory?

Thinking and memory problems, also known as cognitive problems, are common in MS. Issues include memory, attention span, planning, decision making, understanding or concentration. Problems with thinking and memory affect around half of all people with MS.

Can MS lead to dementia?

In sum, the presence, prevalence, and nature of dementia in MS has been ignored for far too long. The one prevalence study of which I am aware that suggests that 22% of clinic patients with MS may have a dementia. This certainly suggests that a dementia state in MS is not “rare” enough to be dismissed.

Does MS damage your brain?

MS is a chronic disease that damages the nerves in the spinal cord and brain, as well as the optic nerves. Sclerosis means scarring, and people with MS develop multiple areas of scar tissue in response to the nerve damage.

Does Ms reduce your life expectancy?

MS itself is rarely fatal, but complications may arise from severe MS, such as chest or bladder infections, or swallowing difficulties. The average life expectancy for people with MS is around 5 to 10 years lower than average, and this gap appears to be getting smaller all the time.

What does MS brain fog feel like?

It may include problems with thinking clearly, an inability to process information, trouble learning and remembering, problems with organization and planning, slowed processing speed, and lack of executive functioning.