The earliest symptoms of a MS disorder can be misleading. These symptoms of a Multiple Sclerosis disorder happen because of the demyelination that has happened due to the fact that the immune system is attacking the nerve cells within the brain, spinal cord, or along the optic nerves. For this reason, this illness is considered as an autoimmune disease. There is a multitude of possible symptoms that can occur and these symptoms can vary in intensity. The highest risk of this disease is found among Caucasian women between the ages of 20 and 40 who live in the temperate zones of the world. While this illness can affect men, there are only half as many men as there are women MS patients in the world. It is after the nerve cells become stripped of their myelin sheath that the first signs of this disease are usually noticed. Many MS patients report that they experienced symptoms on and off for a long period of time before ever seeking a diagnosis.
The reason for this is that these particular kinds of symptoms frequently mimic other causes for example alternate illnesses or simply overworking the body. Fatigue and blurred vision can be experienced by a person who has worked too hard and is tired. A pinched nerve can cause numbness and tingling. However, these are primary and most common symptoms of MS. Some other commonly experienced symptoms are a weakness in the limbs and a loss of balance. There are also MS patients who experience paralysis, slurred speech, cognitive difficulties, a lack of coordination, and difficulty swallowing.
The symptoms of MS usually follow into one of three groups, which are primary, secondary, and tertiary. These symptoms frequently progress from one group into the next, such as, in the case of loss of bladder control which is a primary symptom. This symptom can progress into a secondary symptom of frequent urinary tract infections. Finally, there may be a tertiary symptom of stress and embarrassment due to such an issue. The key factor of treatment of these primary symptoms is to prevent needing to treat secondary or tertiary symptoms later on.
What is MS Disorder?
MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the nerve cells. This disorder happens when the immune system, which is designed to protect the body against intruding viruses, bacteria, or other diseases, starts attacking healthy nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. The white blood cells of the immune system begin destroying the myelin sheath which surrounds the nerve cells.
The purpose of this protective coating is to aid in transmitting signals which allow the brain and body work together. As this sheath is attacked, inflammation usually occurs. If the damage to this sheath continues, the myelin is no longer able to transmit electrical impulses and as a result parts of the body stop functioning.
Genetics, environmental factors, and other viruses are all factors that were thought to cause MS. Although it is important to note that a direct link between genetics and MS hasn’t been found, researchers feel that there is an elevated risk for siblings of a person diagnosed with MS. Environmental concerns are also an issue as the lack of vitamin D seems to cause MS according to some research. In fact, countries located in areas where sunlight isn’t as prevalent as in other areas tend to have more cases of MS. Sunlight is crucial in the way the body manufactures Vitamin D, meaning that a deficiency in this vitamin can be one of the contributing factors to the emergence of MS.
Although the MS disorder is not caused by a virus, there are some viruses that are thought to aid in the manifestation of the Multiple Sclerosis disorder. Being infected by the Epstein-Barr virus or the chicken pox virus, or having the hepatitis vaccine are all thought to increase the risk of MS in a person. In a fairly recent study, scientists found that the antibodies created by the Epstein-Barr virus, are present in the majority of people diagnosed with MS, which means that at some point in time these people have experienced mono.
