You're more likely to catch a cold or flu virus if you have MS, especially if you take certain medicines that curb your immune system -- your body's defense against germs. And when you get sick with the flu, your MS raises the chances of health problems that may need treatment at your doctor's office or a hospital.
Getting sick
The infection may exacerbate other MS symptoms. Infections like the flu or common cold can worsen MS symptoms. How to avoid: A healthy lifestyle is an important part of treatment for MS. Plus, it helps prevent other diseases and infections.
In many people with MS, getting cold may affect the speed that messages pass along nerves which have already been damaged by MS and this gives rise to increased symptoms. In some cases, there is a lesion in a part of the brain that controls temperature regulation in the body.
When MS Requires an ER Visit. While an individual with known MS may already be in treatment, sudden onset of a symptom such as blindness or serious mobility issues can trigger an ER visit.
Viruses also tax the immune system and can cause more severe symptoms in those with MS than those with healthy immune systems. Additionally, how you treat your MS determines your risk.
The flu and MS
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture explains that for those with MS, an upper respiratory infection may trigger a series of immune responses that lead to a relapse.
Current evidence shows that simply having MS does not make you more likely than the general population to develop COVID-19, become severely ill or die from the infection. However, certain factors have been shown to increase the risk of a severe case of COVID-19: Progressive MS. Older age.
It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild. In many cases, it's possible to treat symptoms. Average life expectancy is slightly reduced for people with MS.
If you noticed that the physical ability is worsening over the past 6 months or year, inform your healthcare provider. Also, report changes in cognition such as short-term memory loss, multitasking problems and word-finding difficulties.
It's also common early on in the disease to experience long intervals between relapses. Later, as MS progresses, people may have difficulty with tremors, coordination, and walking. They may find that their relapses become more frequent, and that they are less able to recover from them.
The bottom line
An increase in body temperature is more likely to cause this effect than a decrease in body temperature. Humidity can also be part of the equation. For this reason, some people with MS relocate to mixed-dry or cold climates to help manage their symptoms.
If you have a condition like multiple sclerosis (MS), cold temps can make your symptoms worse and make you flat-out uncomfortable. You might find that it's harder to move your limbs, you get more muscle spasms than normal, or your muscles feel tighter. Doctors aren't sure why cold temperatures make MS symptoms worse.
Cold temperatures can alter muscle and nerve activity. And when you have MS, the nerves in your brain, spine, and eyes may already be a bit slowed down. Adding the effects of cold body temperature can cause this altered nerve activity to manifest with cramping, stiffness, tightness, and spasticity.
With multiple sclerosis (MS), the body's own system of defense, known as the immune system, malfunctions. It sends disease-fighting cells into the central nervous system (CNS) that may destroy the body's own myelin.
People living with MS often continue working long after their diagnosis. On the flip side, some people with MS decide to leave their jobs when they are first diagnosed or experience their first major exacerbation, often at the suggestion of their family or doctor.
About 15% of patients will never necessitate assistance with ambulation, while 5-10% will do so within 5 years, and another 10% will do so in 15 years. Average patient will take about 28 years from the point of diagnosis to necessitate assistance while walking, and will be about 60 years of age.
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.
MS is considered a progressive condition. This means that symptoms change over time, and it may progress to another type of MS. More advanced types of MS can become more difficult to manage. Getting started on treatments soon after diagnosis can lengthen the time between relapses.
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.
The study found that people with MS lived to be 75.9 years old, on average, compared to 83.4 years old for those without. That 7.5-year difference is similar to what other researchers have found recently.
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.
According to the CDC and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, most people with MS should be fully vaccinated with the vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna, including any recommended booster doses.
Some people with MS are considered "extremely clinically vulnerable" or in the "highest risk" group for COVID-19.
Multiple sclerosis is caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking the brain and nerves. It's not clear why this happens but it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.