The diagnosis of MS tends to follow the identification of certain MS features in a patient. These multiple sclerosis features include the age of onset (which is typically above 20 years and below 50 years), double or blurred vision, fatigue, bladder problems, neurological symptoms, heat intolerance and Lhermitte’s sign. Examining these clinical features in some detail can help to shed light on the nature and progression of multiple sclerosis.
A Detailed Look at Some Clinical MS Features
Most individuals suffering from MS are between the ages of 20 years and 50 years at the condition’s first onset. A minority first develop the disease when in their childhood or teens or when beyond the age of fifty. Interestingly, the age of first onset has implications for the progression of the disease. In those who develop MS while children, the disease progresses at a much slower rate. This might have something to do with the typically faster recovery rates associated with youth: the damaged tissue may be repaired faster. However, the connection between age and MS progression deserves further research before it can be commented on in greater detail.
The double or blurred vision associated with MS is one of the better-known MS features. It is the result of damage to the nervous tissue that controls vision. This should not come as a surprise. MS as a whole is characterized by damage to the nervous tissue. Imaging is bound to show the presence of lesions on the affected nervous tissue, specifically on the optic nerve. When the optic nerve undergoes both inflammation and demyelination, blurring and double vision can result. Additionally, the patient may go blind in the eye, lose the ability to perceive color, or develop pain in the area behind the eye. The severity and nature of the symptoms varies from patient to patient and ultimately depends on the location and extent of damage.
Fatigue is among the common multiple sclerosis features. It is also related to damage to the nervous tissue, and results from the inflammation demyelination of the relevant nerves. This particular clinical feature of MS has implications for the physical, mental and emotional state of the patient. The physical fatigue is far beyond any normal fatigue that one might experience after performing an exhausting task. It often has very little to do with the number of hours for which the patient sleeps each night. Instead, it is associated with muscle weakness and the reduction in the speed with which electrical impulses are conducted through the patient’s nerves. The fatigue tends to be worst in the afternoons. In addition to this physical exhaustion, MS patients also feel mentally overwhelmed, finding it difficult to multitask. They consequently suffer mental fatigue. It is not unusual for them to feel emotionally frustrated or devastated by this.
