Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms, Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis
Article by Peter Hutch
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the myelin sheaths that protect the neurons of the brain and spinal cord are “eaten” away, exposing nerve tissue. This causes the nerves to malfunction, causing the physical symptoms of difficulty walking and weakened hand grasp that many people are familiar with.
This is a fairly common disease, affecting an estimated 300,000 people in the United States alone. Symptoms and signs usually surface when patients are around 20-40 years old. Sometimes, however, multiple sclerosis can strike a person at any age, making it crucial for everyone to pay attention to the symptoms even if one does not belong to this age group.
Multiple Sclerosis can result in a lack of balance, partial blindness, and even paralysis. Symptoms can also include muscle weakness and spasms, acute or chronic fatigue, speech problems, and bladder or bowel control problems. Multiple Sclerosis can also have emotional symptoms, such as unstable moods and depression.
Fatigue is the most common symptom of MS. It is typically present in the mid afternoon and may consist of increased muscle weakness, mental fatigue, sleepiness or drowsiness. Many MS patients report a sensitivity to heat that worsens when they go outside or take a shower. Muscle spasms are a common and often debilitating symptom of MS.
Benign multiple sclerosis is a form of relapsing-remitting ms with minimal disability. The decrease in small or large movements, decrease in memory, attention span, or use of speech, visual perception, coordination and judgment is called cognitive impairment. These are some of the most commonly affected functions. It can be caused by ms, other diseases or trauma.
To properly diagnose multiple sclerosis, your neurologist will look into your medical history as well as look at your physical symptoms. Be frank and upfront with the neurologist and list out all signs regardless of how small it may be. As there is no one reliable test for multiple sclerosis, it is usually done by removing all likelihoods and taking into account the symptoms experienced by the patient.
Many people assume that those with multiple sclerosis will die at a young age but this just isn’t true at all. Most patients with this condition have a normal life expectancy. It’s also thought that it is an inherent disease; while the gene responsible for the condition can be found in families it is not directly inherent. Most with MS will see it skip a generation or two, or will find that there are patients in their extended family (aunts and uncles, distant cousins, etc.) rather than having the gene passed on from parent to child.
Your multiple sclerosis diet should consist of a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. These helps increase your intake of vitamins and minerals for your body. These can also make up for the nutrients that you might lack due to the cut down on some foods. You can also take vitamin supplements but must be prescribed by your doctor.
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