The course of MS is unpredictable and can cause a variety of symptoms in different people. It may cause hearing problems and other symptoms that have to do with the function of the inner ear, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, balance problems, and a muffled or full feeling in the ear.
Hearing problems aren't a common MS symptom. But people with MS can sometimes experience problems including tinnitus, increased sensitivity to sound and loss of hearing. There are other possible causes of hearing problems which are more common than MS.
There are a variety of these, the most common being benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), labyrinthitis, Meniere's, secondary endolymphatic hydrops, and perilymph fistula.
Hearing loss is an uncommon symptom of MS. About 6 percent of people who have MS complain of impaired hearing. The cause of hearing loss can be due to non-MS related issues but in MS, can be associated with damage to the hearing nerve pathways in the brain and the brainstem.
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.
Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.
People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.
In MS, nerve damage disrupts the electrical signals that travel from your ears to your brain. That sets off a ringing sound in your ears. Tinnitus isn't dangerous but can be very distracting and annoying. There currently is no cure.
Tinnitus isn't common in people with MS. Fewer than 5 percent of people with MS experience hearing problems that include ringing ears. Ringing ears may be symptomatic of other problems, such as excessive ear wax, polyps, or other growths in the ear canal.
First, sinusitis is present in many MS patients, and the rate of MS exacerbations during the sinusitis attacks was found to be doubled. Furthermore, using magnetic resonance imaging of the nasal sinuses, 53% of MS patients had evidence of sinusitis.
It can be caused by problems in the inner ear, cochlea, auditory nerve, or auditory nerve nucleus. Although some “neurological” diseases are associated with conductive hearing loss, generally neurological causes are sensorineural.
To be a true exacerbation, the attack must last at least 24 hours and be separated from the previous attack by at least 30 days. Most MS exacerbations last from a few days to several weeks or even months.
Overview. Dizziness is a common symptom of MS. People with MS may feel off balance or lightheaded. Much less often, they have the sensation that they or their surroundings are spinning — a condition known as vertigo.
An MRI scan may reveal a growth or tumor near the ear or the eighth cranial nerve that could be causing tinnitus. Imaging tests can also help doctors evaluate pulsatile tinnitus. They can show changes in the blood vessels near the ears and determine whether an underlying medical condition is causing symptoms.
Neurological tinnitus: Usually caused by a disorder, such as Meniere's disease, that primarily affects the brain's auditory functions. Somatic tinnitus: Related to the sensory system. This form is caused, worsened, or otherwise related to the sensory system.
Many people with MS experience a temporary worsening of their symptoms when the weather is very hot or humid, or when they run a fever. These temporary changes can result from even a slight elevation in core body temperature (one-quarter to one-half of a degree).
Trigeminal neuralgia almost always occurs on one side of the face, although in MS patients, it may occur on both sides in about 18 percent of cases. The trigeminal nerve provides sensation to the face and part of the ear and forehead. Therefore, the pain in trigeminal neuralgia can occur in any region of the face.
Background: Symptoms arising from vestibular system dysfunction are observed in 49-59% of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Symptoms may include vertigo, dizziness and/or imbalance. These impact on functional ability, contribute to falls and significant health and social care costs.
Although sinus issues and congestion are not typically symptoms of MS, people who have multiple sclerosis may get runny noses and sinus infections more often than those in the general population. Fortunately, this is rarely a serious problem, but it can worsen quality of life if the infections become serious.
Neurological examination
Your neurologist will look for abnormalities, changes or weakness in your vision, eye movements, hand or leg strength, balance and co-ordination, speech and reflexes. These may show whether your nerves are damaged in a way that might suggest MS.
Here's where MS (typically) starts
Although a number of MS symptoms can appear early on, two stand out as occurring more often than others: Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.