What organs are affected by multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells in the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord, called the myelin sheath.

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What organ systems are affected by multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that can affect the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Common symptoms include fatigue, bladder and bowel problems, sexual problems, pain, cognitive and mood changes such as depression, muscular changes and visual changes.

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Can MS affect internal organs?

What we do know is that it affects the nervous system and gradually impacts the whole body. The body's immune cells attack healthy nerve tissue over time, affecting the body's internal systems to respond healthily.

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How many organs does multiple sclerosis affect?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

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How does MS affect other body systems?

MS may cause chronic inflammation, which may cause pain, damage various body structures, or increase the risk of other diseases, such as stroke or heart disease. People do not have weakened immune systems from the disease itself. However, treatments often target the immune system to reverse the attack on neurons.

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How Multiple Sclerosis Affects The Body - Yale Medicine Explains

19 related questions found

Do people with MS get sick more often?

Infections occurred almost twice as often in people with MS than in the general population.

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What are symptoms of MS getting worse?

7 Signs Your Multiple Sclerosis Is Progressing
  • There's less time between MS flare-ups. ...
  • You're always exhausted. ...
  • You feel more weakness and stiffness. ...
  • You have trouble walking. ...
  • You're experiencing “bathroom problems.” ...
  • You're struggling with “brain fog” and mood changes. ...
  • Your current treatment seems less effective.

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What is the leading cause of death in multiple sclerosis patients?

Conclusions: Deaths attributed to MS were commonly caused by infection (especially respiratory and urinary tract-related); conditions associated with advanced disability and immobility, such as aspiration pneumonia; and chronic respiratory disease in men.

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What is the number one cause of multiple sclerosis?

Boston, MA – Multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive disease that affects 2.8 million people worldwide and for which there is no definitive cure, is likely caused by infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers.

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What is a common complication of multiple sclerosis?

The complications of MS range from mild to severe. They can range from fatigue to the inability to walk. Other problems include loss of vision, balance, and bowel or bladder control. Depression can result from the difficulty of living with a chronic condition.

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Does MS mess with your stomach?

Nearly two-thirds of MS patients have at least one GI symptom that persists for 6 months or more. Some of the most common problems are: 1) Dysphagia, 2) Heartburn, 3) Nausea, 4) Dyspepsia, 5) Diarrhea, 6) Constipation, and 7) Fecal Incontinence.

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Does MS mess with your bowels?

Most individuals experience constipation or slow bowel. Some people with MS have reported bowel incontinence (loss of bowel control) and diarrhea, although these latter symptoms are less common than constipation in individuals with MS. Constipation is very common among people with MS.

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What part of the body does MS affect the most?

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.

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Does MS affect your kidneys?

Another study on progressive type of MS showed that the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of patients is significantly lower than healthy individuals. Although reduction in eGFR revealed disruption in kidney function, but unexpectedly, their serum creatinine was normal or lower than normal.

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Does MS impact the liver?

Serious liver damage is a risk for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are treating their illness with medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But recent research has found a way to identify people who could experience increased liver enzyme activity if taking an interferon beta.

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What diseases mimic multiple sclerosis?

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.

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What causes multiple sclerosis to flare up?

What causes exacerbations? Exacerbations (relapses) are caused by inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). The inflammation damages the myelin, slowing or disrupting the transmission of nerve impulses and causing the symptoms of MS.

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What vitamins should you avoid with MS?

High doses of other vitamins can antagonize your immune-modulating, immunosuppressive therapies used to manage MS. Supplements that stimulate the immune system should be avoided in high doses. Those include selenium, zinc, B1, B2, folic acid, B6, vitamin A, biotin, magnesium, copper, and manganese.

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Is MS inherited from mother or father?

MS is not directly inherited from parent to child. There's no single gene that causes it. Over 200 genes might affect your chances of getting MS. But genes are only part of the story.

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What is the average age of death for someone with MS?

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.

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What is the average lifespan of someone with multiple sclerosis?

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.

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What is the lifespan of MS patients?

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.

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What is the best exercise for people with MS?

Diana: The best MS exercises are aerobic exercises, stretching, and progressive strength training. Aerobic exercise is any activity that increases your heart rate, like walking, jogging, or swimming. You just don't want to overdo it—it should be done at a moderate level.

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Does MS qualify for Medicare?

People with multiple sclerosis can qualify for Medicare coverage before age 65 if Social Security determines that they are permanently disabled and they have received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months.

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What is stage 4 MS?

Stage 4: End stage. This is the final stage of MS. Patients have lost physical mobility and independence. Severe and life-threatening complications can occur.

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