Multiple Sclerosis

The multiple sclerosis early symptoms and treatment are different for each individuals depending on the location of the nerve fibers affected by the disease.

What is Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a long-lasting disease that can affect the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves in the eyes.  It can cause problems with vision, balance, muscular control, and change other bodily functions.  Some people have moderate symptoms and don’t need any treatment.  But, others with severe multiple sclerosis will have trouble getting around and doing everyday tasks.

Sclerosis happens when your immune system attacks the myelin (fatty white substance that surrounds the axon of some nerve cells), which wraps your nerve fibers to protect them.  Without this outer shell, your nerves become damaged. Scar tissue may form.  The damage means your brain can’t send signals through your body correctly.  Your nerves also don’t work as they should to help you move and feel.

What is the symptoms of multiple sclerosis

When you have affected by multiple sclerosis, your immune system attacks your central nervous system, affecting the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves in eyes. Multiple sclerosis early symptoms and treatment can be different, come and go, making it sometimes hard to diagnose. It could have one symptom, and then at other certain times have a completely different symptom, not realizing the two are related.

For many people, the first symptom of sclerosis is detected in their eyes. Often, multiple sclerosis causes optic neuritis, that is a condition that damages the nerve connecting the eye to the brain. It usually affects just one eye, but in rare cases, it involves both. Symptoms of eyes include blurry vision, colors that appeal dull and pain when moving your eye. However, the symptoms get better on their own within a few weeks or months. But if you have these symptoms, go to your doctor right away.

Other early symptoms is a strange sensation. It may be extraordinary sensation around the body including an electric-shock-like feeling when you move your head or neck, it also can be felt up to arms and feet. A feeling of tightness or swelling and numbness often in the face. Another common early symptom of multiple sclerosis is extreme tiredness.

You may feel exhausted even if you haven’t been very active. You may be tired as soon as you wake up in the morning. When you exercise, you may get tired and weak as soon as your body warms. You may also have trouble controlling certain body parts, like your foot or leg, while your body is warmed up. As you rest and cool down, these symptoms are likely to go away.

Multiple sclerosis can also lead to a worse situation, making it hard to walk. Symptoms can include trouble keeping your balance and trouble walking with your regular walking. The other symptoms are depending on the part of others symptoms that effect. Other early symptoms can include trouble thinking clearly, depression, pain and the sense that the room is spinning.

Which doctor treats multiple sclerosis

A neurologist is a physician who specialises in diseases of the nervous system. You will find neurologists in private practice, community-based multiple sclerosis centres, academic settings, and general clinical settings. A neurologist is involved in testing, diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management.

Because multiple sclerosis is a continuing disease, and as new advances in treatment take place all the time, looking at experienced neurologists in treating multiple sclerosis can make a significant difference in managing the disease. Many numerous sclerosis symptoms come and go, and it can be tempting to minimize them.

Multiple sclerosis early symptoms and treatment

Your doctor can prescribe drugs that may slow the course of the disease, prevent or treat attacks, ease your symptoms, or help you manage the stress that can come with the condition.  Your doctor may give you steroids to make your multiple sclerosis attacks shorter and less severe. You can also try other drugs, like muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, or botulinum toxin (Botox), to ease muscle spasms and treat some of the other symptoms.

A physical therapist can teach you exercises that will keep up your strength and balance and help you manage fatigue and pain.  An occupational therapist can teach you new ways to do certain tasks to make it easier to work and take care of yourself. If you have trouble getting around, a cane, walker, or braces can help you walk more easily.

Along with treatment, get regular exercise and avoid too much heat to boost your energy. Ask your doctor about trying yoga to ease fatigue or stress. Take care of your emotional health, too. It’s OK to ask family, friends, or a counselor for help with any stress or anxiety you may feel. Support groups are also great places to connect with other people living with multiple sclerosis.

How to diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

There are no specific tests for multiple sclerosis. Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis.  Your doctor is likely to start with a thorough medical history and examination. Your doctor may then recommend:

Blood tests

To help rule out other diseases with symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis. Tests to check for specific bio markers associated with the disease are currently under development and may also aid in diagnosing the disease.

MRI

Which can reveal areas of multiple sclerosis(lesions) on your brain and spinal cord. You may receive an intravenous injection of a contrast material to highlight lesions that indicate your disease is in an active phase.

Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)

In which a small sample of fluid is removed from your spinal canal for laboratory analysis. This sample can show abnormalities in antibodies that are associated with multiple sclerosis. Spinal tap can also help rule out infections and other conditions with symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis.

Evoked potential tests

Which record the electrical signals produced by your nervous system in response to stimuli. An evoked potential test may use visual stimuli or electrical stimuli, in which you watch a moving visual pattern, or short electrical impulses are applied to nerves in your legs or arms. Electrodes measure how quickly the information travels down your nerve pathways.

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