What is Multiple Sclerosis?:
Multiple Sclerosis is a variable condition, affecting many sites of the central nervous system leading to lesions and scars within the brain and/or the spinal cord. The condition has no predictable or set pattern, and symptoms can vary from person to person and for each person over time.
Many people with multiple sclerosis continue to live a normal life and can go for long periods of time without developing any symptoms. Multiple Sclerosis is characterised by a sudden onset of symptoms. The symptoms often improve after a few days or weeks leading to either a full or partial recovery. This period is known as a remission.The symptoms depend on which areas of the brain and the spinal cord have been injured by MS activity. They may vary tremendously among individuals and are difficult to predict.
Many functions of the body can be affected. Some people with multiple sclerosis do not have any symptoms at all for a long period of time, and it may well be that despite injury to certain nerve pathways the brain is able to compensate by re-routing nerve impulses to alternative pathways. It is important to remember that most people will only experience some of the common symptoms.
Common symptoms in people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis include:
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| Abnormal sensations |
some people with multiple sclerosis experience strange sensations, such as feeling cold, numbness, tingling or itching |
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| Visual disturbances |
such as blurred vision or loss of colour perception mostly only in one eye |
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| Fatigue |
one of the most common symptoms of MS patients |
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| Motor dysfunctions |
such as stiffness, weakness, loss of muscle strength, spasticity of the limbs |
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| Problems with balance |
difficulty in walking or trembling |
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| Bowel & bladder problems |
such as problems with bladder emptying and constipation |
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| Sexual problems |
such as impotence or loss of sensitivity |
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| Pain |
acute pain (eg behind the eye) or chronic pain (eg extremities or back) is reported by a large number of people living with MS at some time or another |
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| Depression |
is not uncommon with Multiple Sclerosis and is often evidenced in continuous tiredness |
Most of the above problems can be reduced by a number of therapies and drugs. You should contact your doctor who can then advise you on the best possible therapeutic approach in your particular situation. Some symptoms are seen often, others only rarely. However, even when somebody has no symptoms at all, MS may still be "silently" active.
Types of Multiple Sclerosis:
Multiple Sclerosis can vary considerably among individuals, since it attacks the nervous system in different locations. In the majority of cases, symptoms in the early stages of the condition occur abruptly in short-lived episodes without any recognisable cause.This sudden occurrence or worsening of symptoms is known as a relapse. Symptoms then improve after a few days or weeks (remission).With time there may either be a complete or partial recovery. Continuous rehabilitation, physical and mental training will help you to recover as much as possible.
There are four different forms of Multiple Sclerosis:
• Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)
• Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS)
• Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)
• Benign MS
The relapsing-remitting form of MS is the most common type, affecting more than 80% of people with MS. In the early phases, symptoms may not be evident, sometimes even for several years. However, attacks are unpredictable and symptoms may appear at any time. New or previously known symptoms may occur suddenly, last for a few days or weeks and then disappear again.
Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis may follow the relapsingremitting phase of the condition and is regarded as the more advanced form of MS. Up to 40% of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis may go on to develop secondary progressive MS.After periods of attacks and remissions, SPMS may develop and is marked by continuous progression with or without occasional relapses, minor remissions and plateaus.
Primary progressive multiple sclerosis is rare and only affects about 10% of all people living with MS. Progression from onset is steady. Symptoms progressively worsen and disability gradually increases.There are no relapselike
episodes and no periods of remission, only occasional plateaus and temporary minor improvements. Benign multiple sclerosis is characterised by as little as one initial relapse and possibly only one additional attack and full recovery in between these episodes. It may be 20 years until a second relapse occurs, therefore only little progression of the condition is experienced.
Benign multiple sclerosis is characterised by as little as one initial relapse and possibly only one additional attack and full recovery in between these episodes. It may be 20 years until a second relapse occurs, therefore only little progression of the condition is experienced.
Causes of Multiple Sclerosis:
In spite of enormous research, no one knows exactly what triggers MS. Many factors have been considered by the causes are still unknown.
Even though hypotheses exist that viruses may be responsible for MS, there is no reliable scientific proof so far that any specific virus causes the condition. Researchers nowadays are convinced that MS is most likely caused by a combination of factors.
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