What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes multiple scars on nerves in your brain and spinal cord. These scars keep the nerves from working properly.
You may have vision problems, strange sensations, weak or clumsy movements, or trouble thinking clearly
You'll have different symptoms at different times
Symptoms usually come and go, and you may feel fine between episodes of symptoms
MS tends to get worse over time
Diagnosis is based on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain and spinal cord.
Several different medicines can help, but there's no cure
MS can cause disability, but most people have a normal life span
What causes MS?
Doctors don’t know what causes MS. But most doctors believe that your immune system attacks your body’s own tissues as if they don't belong to you. This is called an autoimmune reaction. In MS, the immune system attacks and damages nerves in your brain and spinal cord.
What are the symptoms of MS?
Because MS attacks different nerves, symptoms are different for different people. And the pattern of how symptoms come and go is different.
Usually, MS symptoms appear suddenly (called a flare) and then go away (called remission). Usually, you're in good health between flares. Most people have flares only every year or two, but you may have more. Each flare may affect a different part of your body. Flares can last a few days to a few months.
As time goes on, your symptoms may not go away completely between flares. In some people, symptoms never go away. Whatever your symptom pattern is, MS tends to slowly get worse.
Common early symptoms of MS include:
Tingling or numbness in parts of your arms, legs, chest, back, or face
Weakness, clumsiness, or stiffness in your arms or legs
Blind spots, blurry vision, or pain when moving one eye
Other early symptoms include:
Double vision (seeing two of one thing)
Sudden burning or electric shock-like pains down your back, legs, or arm that may come on their own, when something touches you, or when you bend your neck
Later symptoms of MS may include:
Shaky, irregular movements
Being unable to move a part or all of your body
Painful muscle cramps and muscle weakness
Balance and walking difficulty
Feeling tired and weak
Slow, slurred speech
Depression or mood swings
Difficulty thinking, remembering things, paying attention, or making decisions
Dizziness
Problems controlling urination (peeing) or bowel movements (pooping)
Symptoms may become worse if you're hot, such as on a hot day or during a fever.
How can doctors tell if I have MS?
It can be hard to tell if you have MS. Doctors diagnose MS based on your symptoms and usually with:
MRI of the brain and spinal cord
Sometimes, a spinal tap
How do doctors treat MS?
To treat symptom flares, doctors use:
Medicines called corticosteroids
If corticosteroids don't help, doctors may try a blood treatment called plasma exchange.
To help prevent flares of symptoms, doctors use various different medicines that help keep your immune system from attacking your nerves.
Doctors may use other medicines to treat specific symptoms, such as muscle tightness, tingling sensations, tiredness, and depression.
You can make life with MS easier and help prevent disability by:
