Multiple sclerosis symptoms tend to come and go; that is why is can be difficult to tell when a MS relapse is happening in the afflicted body. However, there are many indicators that a relapse is happening or may be impending. There will be a variety of different symptoms of ms relapse that a person diagnosed with MS can learn to recognize and access. MS relapse symptoms vary from being hardly noticeable to very apparent. For example, a person could lose completely lose vision in one eye. This is very noticeable to the person, and easily signifies a relapse. However, their vision could start to blur just slightly, and they may not notice it at all. This can also be an indicator of an impending relapse and changes in the diseased body.
Symptoms that are typically present with multiple sclerosis will become more pronounced during a MS relapse. Uncomfortable tingling or stinging may become more painful and noticeable. Symptoms that may not have bothered a person in months may reappear. New symptoms can appear, even if the person has not experienced them before. If any of these occur, a medical professional should be contacted so that the situation can be accessed and treated.
What Is A True MS Relapse?
It can be confusing to know if what is going on in the body is truly a MS relapse or not. That is why there is a MS relapse definition available for medical professionals to go on. To diagnose someone with a true MS relapse, certain conditions must be met. To find out if they meet these conditions, various tests will be performed. The most basic test is to monitor how long the episode lasts. In order to be a relapse, it must last over 24 hours. Relapsing can be caused by the MS lesions on the brain or spinal cord, and so an MRI will be done to look for any changes to the lesions, such as developing new lesions or growth in old lesions. With an MRI contrast scan, professionals can see if a particular lesion is currently active and sending out problems. It will include a significant worsening of former symptoms or the appearance of new symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.
A MS relapse can last for a few days, a few weeks, or even several months. There are different medications that can help with a relapse depending on its severity and what it is caused by. To help prevent relapses, people with multiple sclerosis should always continue their medication therapy and stick to any lifestyle changes that reduce symptoms.
