How might you describe multiple sclerosis?

How might you describe multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). In MS , the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.

How does multiple sclerosis affect a person’s 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 was your first sign of MS?

While some people experience fatigue and numbness, severe cases of MS can cause paralysis, vision loss, and diminished brain function. Common early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) include: vision problems. tingling and numbness.

What is often mistaken for MS?

These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.

How many lesions is alot for MS?

An “average” number of lesions on the initial brain MRI is between 10 and 15. However, even a few lesions are considered significant because even this small number of spots allows us to predict a diagnosis of MS and start treatment.

What MS looks like on MRI?

MS-related lesions appear on MRI images as either bright or dark spots, depending on the type of MRI used. This imaging technique is useful because it shows active inflammation and helps doctors determine the age of the lesions. Specific lesion types might indicate a flare-up or reveal damage occurring in the brain.

Do MS brain lesions go away?

Will MS brain lesions go away? In addition to slowing the growth of lesions, it might be possible to one day heal them. Scientists are working to develop myelin repair strategies, or remyelination therapies, that might help regrow myelin.

What is the best medication 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 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.

What is end stage MS?

End-Stage MS Symptoms When a patient with multiple sclerosis begins to experience more pronounced complications, this is considered end-stage MS. Some of the end-stage MS symptoms patients may experience include: Limited Mobility – Patient may no longer be able to perform daily activities without assistance.

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.

Does multiple sclerosis cause forgetfulness?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause cognitive symptoms, including memory loss. MS-related memory loss tends to be fairly mild and manageable. In some cases, it can be more severe.

Can MS cause you to forget words?

Signs of Impaired Thinking in MS You may: Struggle to find the right words to say. Forget things you need to do or tasks already done. Find it hard to plan ahead or set priorities.

Can MS change personality?

Objective. Patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) are believed to undergo personality changes, which could have implications for how they perceive themselves and are perceived by others.

What is MS brain fog?

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.

What does MS fatigue feel like?

Some people with MS describe the fatigue as feeling like you’re weighed down and like every movement is difficult or clumsy. Others may describe it as an extreme jet lag or a hangover that won’t go away. For others, fatigue is more mental. The brain goes fuzzy, and it becomes difficult to think clearly.

Can MS cause weight gain?

It’s also common for people with MS to gain weight due to their symptoms. It’s important to try and reach a moderate weight and maintain it. Being overweight or underweight can worsen MS symptoms. Read on to learn how to maintain a moderate weight with MS.

Can stress cause MS flare ups?

Here, the most common triggers of an MS flare-up: Stress. Emotional stress is part of having a chronic disease like MS and can lead to the common MS symptom of depression. Stress can also lead to other MS symptoms, such as fatigue and confusion.

What triggers MS to start?

In the case of multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks myelin, the fatty protein that covers the nerves in the central nervous system. It is thought that, in people who have an underlying genetic tendency, MS is triggered by other risk factors, such as a viral infection, smoking, or a lack of vitamin D.

What causes multiple sclerosis flare ups?

The underlying mechanism of a flare-up is the immune attack on the myelin sheath (outer insulating layer on nerve fibers), which causes slow or interrupted neuronal signals in the brain and spinal cord.

What is the best diet for MS?

Overall, people with MS need a balanced, low-fat and high-fiber diet. Unprocessed or naturally processed foods are preferred to processed foods. This is similar to the Mediterranean diet, and the same healthy diet that’s recommended for the general population. Also consider limiting alcohol as much as possible.

How can you prevent getting MS?

Although MS is a chronic condition, there are some ways to manage it with drugs and lifestyle changes. There is no complete cure or prevention method, but diet, exercise, medications, and early detection can go a long way in slowing its progression.

Can stress cause MS?

Can stress cause MS? There is no definitive evidence to say that stress is a cause for MS. Stress can, however, make it difficult for a person to manage MS symptoms. Many patients also report that stress triggered their MS symptoms or caused a relapse.

Is multiple sclerosis a sexually transmitted disease?

The similarity of multiple sclerosis to HTLV-1 infections, its familial transmission, and the profile of gender shift and prevalence in most longitudinal incidence studies suggests the “multiple sclerosis agent” may be spread by sexual contact.

What is a MS attack?

An exacerbation of MS (also known as a relapse, attack or flare-up) is the occurence new symptoms or the worsening of old symptoms. It can be very mild, or severe enough to interfere with a person’s ability to function. No two exacerbations are alike.

How do you know if MS is progressing?

To figure out if disease is progressing, doctors use a scale called the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The EDSS is a way of measuring physical disability. Two-thirds of those with MS will not progress past level 6 on the EDSS.