When are multiple sclerosis and rash symptoms associated? Are they directly associated or is their concurrence only a coincidence? These are important questions to consider, especially where the well-being of multiple sclerosis patients with skin conditions is concerned. Determining their answers can help these patients find relief from their symptoms.
Conventional Perspectives on Multiple Sclerosis, Skin Rash and Other Symptoms
The answers to the above questions ultimately depend on the medical approach that one is using. For instance, a conventional medical practitioner is likely to consider the concurrence of multiple sclerosis and rash symptoms as evidence that the patient is reacting to one of his or her MS medications or, alternatively, as proof that the patient is experiencing the symptoms of another disease, for instance Lyme disease, lupus, Crohn’s disease or hives. It seems that these factors are frequently accountable for MS patient’s rashes. So it is likely that many doctors only consider multiple sclerosis and rash symptoms to be directly connected after eliminating these possibilities.
Multiple Sclerosis, Rash Symptoms and Alternative Medicine
From the standpoint of alternative medicine it is likely for greater emphasis to be placed on the disease as systemic, and as having implications for all bodily symptoms. Thus, someone suffering from multiple sclerosis and rash symptoms is likely to be viewed as experiencing a system-wide inflammatory condition. If the patient has both MS and hives or both MS and lupus, then rather than describing the patient as having two separate diseases, the tendency will be to view the patient as having one condition that manifests in these different ways.
While conventional medicine often diagnoses diseases and treats them by trying to control the symptoms, alternative medicine tries to focus on what it sees as the foundational causes of the disease processes. Thus, alternative medicine is more likely to focus on such factors as lifestyle and nutrition. Patients may be advised to avoid foods that are notorious for triggering inflammatory responses. They may also be advised to eat foods high in certain nutrients and to take particular nutritional supplements.
Various nutritional deficiencies have been linked with diseases like MS, and they also happen to be associated with dermatitis. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some MS patients may develop a rash and that both the MS and the rash can be attributed to the nutritional deficiency. Patients may also find that they have been sensitized to certain chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment. These may be preservatives and additives in processed foods and even some of the chemicals contained in medication. Emphasis on the incorporation of minimally processed foods, medications and related materials into one’s daily routines can help patients to better manage the symptoms of their inflammatory conditions.
