White people, particularly those of Northern European descent, are at highest risk of developing MS . People of Asian, African or Native American descent have the lowest risk. A recent study suggests that the number of Black and Hispanic young adults with multiple sclerosis may be greater than previously thought.
Research has demonstrated that MS occurs in most ethnic groups, including African Americans, Asians and Hispanics/Latinos, but is most common among white people of northern European descent.
Here's where MS (typically) starts
You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache. It often occurs on one side and can eventually lead to partial or total vision loss. Spinal cord inflammation, or what's called partial transverse myelitis, is the second most common symptom Shoemaker typically sees.
The average risk of developing MS in the United States is roughly 3.5 in 1,000, or less than half of one percent. For first-degree relatives (such as a child or sibling), the risk increases to three or four percent.
It's most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s although it can develop at any age. It's about 2 to 3 times more common in women than men. MS is one of the most common causes of disability in younger adults.
MS can appear at any age but most commonly manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects women two to three times as often as men. Almost one million people in the United States have MS, making it one of the most common causes of neurological disability among young adults in North America.
How long can MS go undiagnosed? MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but it can go undetected for years. In fact, a 2021 study suggested that many people with MS experience disease symptoms several years before being officially diagnosed with the disease.
Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery. Resolution is often complete.
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.
Blood Tests: Currently, there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, but they can be used to rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Vision problems and random localized numbness are often the first symptoms of the condition. Depression, bladder problems, cognitive changes, and pain are also among the most common symptoms of MS.
The prevalence of MS in Australia has increased from 103.7 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 131.1 per 100,000 people in 2021. This increase in prevalence is most likely due to changes in exposure to known MS risk factors.
Body Fat and Obesity
Mowry says that the rising incidence of MS among women may relate to body fat. Obesity is epidemic in the U.S., with over a third of American adults at a body mass index of 30 or higher. Women typically carry more fat on their bodies than men, and obesity rates are higher for women as well.
Those symptoms include loss of vision in an eye, loss of power in an arm or leg or a rising sense of numbness in the legs. Other common symptoms associated with MS include spasms, fatigue, depression, incontinence issues, sexual dysfunction, and walking difficulties.
MS may have a bimodal progression, the team said. Either patients continue to have a mild and stable disease, such as the majority of RRMS patients in the study, or their disease progresses to SPMS. Nonetheless, based on the results, Chung concluded that “very stable 'benign' MS does exist.”
We know early treatment improves long-term health and wellbeing by slowing down the build up of irreversible damage and reducing the number of relapses people experience. Starting MS treatment early is best but if you start later it can also have some benefits.
A MS diagnosis is not a death sentence, because it can be controlled and stay in remission. However, in some cases, worsening symptoms can lead to a number of disabilities. Although the illness is not fatal, complications from MS can contribute to a person's death.
Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.
your genes – MS isn't directly inherited, but people who are related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it; the chance of a sibling or child of someone with MS also developing it is estimated to be around 2 to 3 in 100.
They will examine you to check how different parts of your nervous system are working. A combination of tests is used to diagnose MS. The best test is an MRI of your brain and spinal cord to detect areas of damage. You might also need to have blood tests, a lumbar puncture and tests to measure nerve activity.