Even though Multiple Sclerosis was discovered decades ago, it is still a disease that is difficult to understand. The complications of Multiple Sclerosis can be simply devastating for an individual. Complications of MS can occur quickly or slowly over many years. Lesions on the spinal cord and brain are the cause for a variety of symptoms in people with MS, but the presence of these scars can also cause difficulties to arise. Symptoms may come and go for years and the individual might experience complete recovery from symptoms in between relapses. As MS progresses, the amount of time between relapses tends to become shorter and shorter. Eventually the disease rarely, if ever, goes into remission and the symptoms reach the point of becoming debilitating.
Living with the complications of MS isn’t merely dealing with the occurrence of pain. People with MS can experience extreme fatigue that prevents them from enjoying even the smallest pleasures in life, a loss of mobility that causes them to become bound to a wheelchair or rely heavily on assistance devices, or muscles that have become so spastic that eating unassisted is no longer possible.
If all this isn’t enough, additional complications include loss of bladder and bowel control, memory loss, and difficulty with judgment.
Additional MS Complications
The primary complications mentioned above can easily lead to additional issues, such as depression. MS patients have to adjust to a drastic change in their lives as soon as they are diagnosed with MS. Some individuals become depressed when they find out they tested positive for Multiple Sclerosis, while others have to battle depression caused by medications use to treat the disease. Doctors can alter meds to help with the depressive state and support groups, as well as understanding friends and family can help those who need an emotional boost.
A loss of libido can arise as MS advances. This sexual dysfunction is the result of multiple aspects caused by MS; fatigue, depression, muscle spasms, limited mobility, loss of sensation, and a lack of the appropriate signals between the sex organs and the brain.
Problems with speech occur as MS causes nerve damage so severe that the brain and mouth can no longer communicate through electrical impulses. The lack of the appropriate transmissions between the brain and the body can also cause difficulty breathing and an abnormal heartbeat. On top of all the complications of Multiple Sclerosis mentioned above, some drugs used to treat symptoms of MS and to modify the disease can cause osteoporosis too. Avoiding the complications of MS for as long as possible takes careful monitoring and early treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.
