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Beauty and Anti-Aging

Early Signs Of Multiple Sclerosis

9 de noviembre de 2020

4 min de lectura

Multiple sclerosis, often abbreviated as MS, is a very common and disabling type of neurological disease. It affects young adults, typically producing symptoms in individuals between 20 years old and 40. With MS, your immune system cells that usually protect you from bacteria, viruses and unhealthy cells attack myelin in your central nervous system (spinal cord, brain and optic nerves) mistakenly. Myelin is a substance that coats axons (nerve fibers) and makes up the protective sheath.

Across the globe, over 2.3 million individuals have received a MS diagnosis. In the U.S., one study on the prevalence of the disease the National MS Society funded has estimated almost one million individuals over 18 years old live with a MS diagnosis.

Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis

MS symptoms are not predictable. They vary in severity and type from one individual to another as well as in the same individual over time. Symptoms might go away or remit totally or they might worsen and persist over time.

Knowing the early signs of MS can help you seek treatment quicker. Some early signs of MS include:

1. Vision Problems

Vision issues are common in MS. Inflammation impacts your optic nerve, disrupting central vision. This can lead to:

Double vision
Blurred vision
Loss of vision

You might not notice the vision issues right away, since clear vision degeneration can be gradual. Pain when looking to one side or looking up could also accompany loss of vision. There are various ways of coping with vision changes due to MS.

2. Spasms and Pain

Involuntary muscle spasms and chronic pain are also common symptoms in MS. The National MS Society conducted a study showing half of individuals with MS experienced chronic pain. Muscle spasms (spasticity) or stiffness are also common. You may experience stiff joints or muscles. You might also experience painful, uncontrollable jerking motions of your extremities. Often affected are the legs, but many individuals experience back pain as well.

3. Bowel Problems

Bowel issues can include:

Incontinence related to neurological dysfunction
Diarrhea
Constipation due to decreased physical activity that causes a decrease in food moving through your intestinal tract

4. Lack of Coordination or Clumsiness

Multiple Sclerosis could make it difficult to get around. You may experience:

A difficult time keeping your balance
Trouble walking
Changes in your gait

5. Dizziness

You might feel lightheaded. You likely won't experience vertigo which is where it feels like the room's spinning.

6. Weakness and Fatigue

Unexplained weakness and fatigue impact around 80% of individuals in early MS stages. Chronic fatigue occurs when your spinal column nerves deteriorate. Typically, the fatigue will suddenly appear and will last for weeks before it improves. You'll notice the weakness the most in your legs in the beginning.

7. Sexual Issues

These might include sexual function changes like orgasm and arousal since arousal begins in your central nervous system and it damages the nerve pathways. MS might also generate psychological factors like lower self-esteem and mood changes that could impact sexual desire too.

8. Emotional Health Changes

Major depression is also common in individuals with MS. The stress of Ms could also cause mood swings, irritability and a condition known as pseudobulbar affect, which involves bouts of uncontrollable laughing and crying. Trying to cope with multiple sclerosis symptoms along with family or relationship problems can make your depression even more challenging.

9. Tremors

Around half of individuals with MS experience tremors. They can be so intense, you find it difficult to perform daily activities or they can be minor.

10. Trouble Walking

The spasms and muscle weakness MS causes can make it hard to walk. Numb feet, balance issues and fatigue also may occur.

Who Can Develop MS?

Anybody could develop MS, but there seems to be some patterns. Women tend to develop MS more so than men (two to three times more) and this difference in gender has been growing over the previous 50 years.

Research suggests genetic factors could increase your risk of developing the disease, but there's no proof that MS is directly inherited. Cigarette smoking, low Vitamin D and other environmental factors have also been found to increase the MS risk. MS is most common in the northern European Caucasian ancestry, but it does occur in most ethnic groups, which includes Hispanics/Latinos, African Americans and Asians.

What Is the Life Expectancy With MS?

Life expectancy has grown over time. It's thought this is because of breakthroughs in treatment, lifestyle changes and improved healthcare. Life expectancy of individuals with MS are lowered when they're dealing with other medical complications and conditions. Medical conditions like stroke and heart disease could lead to a shortened life expectancy.

Are You Dealing with Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms?

Subscribe to Healthread to connect with other individuals who are dealing with multiple sclerosis. Come together to learn different ways of improving your symptoms and experiencing a better quality of life.

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