MS affects each person differently. This may block or slow down the communication between your brain and spine with the rest of the body. You can have numbness and tingling, balance problems, dizziness, vision issues, fatigue, or other things including problems with sex or your bladder and bowel.
Contents. You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.
Disease Course of MS Is Unpredictable
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
MS is unpredictable. Different people with MS experience different symptoms at different stages. You don't know how they'll feel day to day or even hour to hour, so it's important to be flexible with your plans. You don't have to let MS rule your lives, but you do have to be willing to adapt.
Marriage and MS
Researchers found that not only did 31 percent of marriages involving at least one sick partner result in a divorce, but the risk of separation for older couples was higher when the wife was sick, rather than the husband.
The partner with MS may require physical and mental assistance from time to time, causing complications in their intimate life. However, equipped with knowledge about the disease, love for your partner and the desire to make things work, you can have a warm and loving relationship that lasts.
Four disease courses have been identified in multiple sclerosis: clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
Outlook. The outlook for benign MS isn't clear. Some people who are diagnosed with it never go on to have a more serious disease progression, while others do. Remember, just because you have mild symptoms when you're first diagnosed with MS doesn't mean that they'll stay that way.
Can I have multiple sclerosis for years and not know it? Yes. MS can go undetected for years. Research has suggested that many patients experience MS-related symptoms and signs several years before receiving a definite diagnosis of the disease.
Factors that may trigger MS include: Exposure to certain viruses or bacteria: Some research suggests that being exposed to certain infections (such as Epstein-Barr virus) can trigger MS later in life. Where you live: Your environment may play a role in your risk for developing MS.
Over time, more than two-thirds of people remain able to walk, although they may need an ambulation aid such as a cane or walker to do so. Some may choose to use a motorized scooter or wheelchair for long distances, in order to conserve energy and remain more active; others may need to use a wheelchair all the time.
Some conditions that doctors may commonly misdiagnose as MS include migraine, RIS, spondylopathy, and neuropathy. To accurately diagnose MS, doctors must rule out conditions with similar symptoms and look for signs and symptoms specific to MS. As such, the process of diagnosing MS may be lengthy and complex.
So while MS can occur at any age, it mostly makes its first appearance in people between the ages of 20 and 40.
Generally, the onset of multiple sclerosis is between 20–40 years of age , but the condition may appear at an earlier or later age. Most individuals have a subtype of MS that alternates between relapses and remissions, while a minority have a subtype that involves regular progression from the onset.
Only a small percentage of people with MS receive their diagnosis after age 50. In some cases, these people have late-onset MS. But for some, the diagnosis represents a delayed identification of years — or even decades — of unrecognized symptoms.
While there is no cure for MS (multiple sclerosis), there are some studies that suggest early, aggressive treatment should begin at the earliest signs of the disease for many patients.
These symptoms can fluctuate depending on the time of day. For example, symptoms affected by heat tend to be worse during the day, while muscle tightness and pain worsen at night. There are things people with MS can do to cope with symptoms during day and night time fluctuations.
Healthy adults have a small amount of brain atrophy due to natural ageing, but in many people with untreated MS, brain atrophy occurs at a much faster rate. Current MS treatments aim to prevent new central nervous system lesions forming that lead to irreversible damage and brain atrophy.
Numbness, vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction and loss of libido: these are some of the ways that multiple sclerosis can impact your sex life. In addition to physical changes, you may also be coping with fatigue, pain and depression — not to mention the stresses that a chronic disease can place on a relationship.
The good news is that if you have MS and get the right medical care, chances are you can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. How do you know if you have MS? Signs and symptoms can include: Muscle weakness, stiffness or cramps.
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.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare chronic disease that happens when your immune system attacks specific parts of your central nervous system. Experts previously thought this was a rare type of multiple sclerosis (MS) but now recognize it's a separate condition.