If you or your doctor suspects MS to be the reason you are experiencing certain symptoms, then a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis is necessary. Unfortunately there isn’t a quick and easy test to see if this disease is present. In order to check for MS, the doctor has to go through a series of Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis criteria. You’ll need to write down the symptoms you are experiencing, complete with starting date and duration time. This list should be presented to your doctor for the initial part of the diagnosis.
Upon looking at the list of symptoms, some of the criteria for MS will also be considered. Though there are more than 50 symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis, not all are present or of the same severity in each person.
How Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis Symptoms Change
The Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis treatment will depend on the type of MS you are diagnosed with. There are 4 main types; Relapsing Remitting MS, Primary Progressive MS, Secondary Progressive MS, and Progressive Relapsing MS. Each type of MS is diagnosed by observing how the symptoms change over a period of time as well as how severe or mild they are.
RRMS is the most common form of MS and identified by the number of relapses and remissions the patient goes through over a period of time. The symptoms will get worse and then better again. This fluctuation continues for an unforeseeable amount of time.
PPMS is diagnosed in men, the majority of the time, but only around 10 percent of the cases of MS are PPMS. This type of MS involves experiencing symptoms which gradually increase in severity.
SPMS evolves when people with RRMS stop going through periods of remission. Most people who develop this form of MS do so about 10 years after the initial diagnosis has been made.
PRMS causes symptoms to become worse over time and for exacerbations to occur as well. Only around 5 percent of MS patients have this form of Multiple Sclerosis.
The Purpose of a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis MRI
An MRI scan is taken of the brain and spinal cord to see how much damage has been done by MS and to see if the lesions created by the disease are active. The scan is performed after the patient has been injected with a colorless dye that will allow active lesions to show up as brighter images on the scan. The MRI will also show most old lesions as well. These scars caused by the immune system attacking the myelin sheath on the nerve cells affect the way the nerves transmit signals.
A lot of scarring on the brain affects balance, speech, memory, and additional cognitive aspects, while lesions on the spinal cord affect muscles in the legs and feet, and motor skills. The Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis will not only enable the doctor to tell you what kind of MS you have, but also what to expect in the future.
Related articles: Multiple Sclerosis Patients | MS charity | Complications of Multiple Sclerosis | Multiple Sclerosis statistics | Multiple Sclerosis support groups |
