The early symptoms MS patients recollect are very similar in both men and women. The primary symptoms a person experiences are also known as the early symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. There are a total of three categories for MS symptoms; primary, secondary, and tertiary. The initial symptoms, or primary ones, are caused by demyelination of the nerve cells. As the immune system sends white blood cells to strip the outer covering off of the nerve cells, electrical signals become impaired.
Primary symptoms include numbness, tremors, weakness, bladder problems, loss of balance, inability to control the bowels, tingling, paralysis, or difficulty with the eyes. Secondary symptoms tend to arise from the primary ones. For example, paralysis is considered to be a primary symptom and this can cause a person to become bedridden. As a person is continuously confined to bed, sores might develop, which would be a secondary symptom.
Tertiary symptoms are caused by the build up of primary and secondary symptoms, so these tend to be more psychological, vocational, or social. For instance, people who experience multiple primary or secondary symptoms can become depressed, which would be a tertiary symptom. These symptoms are managed through medication, rehabilitation, or any other treatment method the doctor sees fit to use. They might become more severe if the MS patient is overly stressed, experiences physical trauma, or has recently been ill. It’s important to remember that each person is affected differently by symptoms; depending on the personal pain threshold as well as the stage of MS the person is in.
Getting Treatment for these Symptoms
Over the years a number of medications have been approved for MS patients. These include drugs for managing attacks, preventing relapses, and maintaining comfort from various symptoms. MS is a disease that requires constant monitoring, so doctors are able to administer the appropriate medications. Corticosteroids are used to reduce the length of time a flare-up lasts. This MS drug falls under many names, with each one varying slightly, however, they all reduce inflammation and this is their main purpose for use.
Undergoing a plasma exchange is an option for MS patients who suddenly have very severe MS attacks and who aren’t responding to the corticosteroids. Managing the assortment of early symptoms MS patients might be experiencing requires a variety of medications. There are medications for depression, to reduce fatigue, to relax muscles, and to help control problems with the bladder or bowels. Beta interferons, glatiramer, natalizumab, and mitoxantrone are prescribed to help modify the existing course of Multiple Sclerosis in a patient. The early symptoms Multiple Sclerosis patients seek treatment for can come and go for years before a proper diagnosis for MS is provided.
Related articles: Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Checklist | MS Balance Problems | MS Onset Age | Early Signs and Symptoms of MS | MS Constipation | Multiple Sclerosis Swallowing | Multiple Sclerosis Blindness | Multiple Sclerosis and Depression | MS Elation | Multiple Sclerosis Tiredness | MS Nerve Pain | MS Pins and Needles |
