Knowing what Multiple Sclerosis symptom to look for before a diagnosis is sought is difficult. An MS symptom could easily come and go for days, weeks, months, or even years before an individual decides to consult a doctor. There isn’t only one list of symptoms either, which can make it difficult to narrow the select down. It’s best to know about all the symptoms and take note as to when they happen, how long they occur, how severe they are, and what length of time they last. A doctor will find this information useful when you go in with questions.
Primary symptoms are the ones noticed early on and are caused by the attacks being made on nerve cells within the body. MS is an autoimmune disease, which means the immune system is causing the disease instead of being helpful like it’s meant to be. Normally the white blood cells will attack only viruses, bacteria, and other harmful infections. Once the white blood cells begin stripping the sheath off of the nerve cells, the electrical stimulus in that nerve cell is damaged. The brain and spinal cord are the two areas most affected and when these areas can’t receive the appropriate electrical signals, a number of symptoms occur.
These primary symptoms can eventually lead to secondary symptoms, if they are left untreated. The next category of symptoms is tertiary symptoms. Primary and secondary symptoms are physically felt, while tertiary symptoms are the psychological, social, or vocational effect of the previous two categories of symptoms.
The exact cause of these symptoms ultimately points to the demyelination of the nerve cells, but it’s still difficult for researchers to understand why the immune system chooses to attack the nerve cells in the first place. Some patients find an increase in stress aggravates symptoms and causes what are known as ‘flare-ups’.
An MS Symptom Checklist to Follow
Having a Multiple Sclerosis symptom checklist is handy to figure out if what you are experiencing is normal or not. There have been MS patients in the past who reported certain symptoms that weren’t mentioned by any MS patients before, so there’s always the possibility for odd symptoms.
Early symptoms include; blindness in one eye, red-green color distortion, double or blurred vision, a feeling of weakness, numb and tingling skin or extremities, unexplained fatigue, clumsiness, loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty thinking or reasoning, or trouble with movement in any way. Any Multiple Sclerosis symptom should be checked out by a doctor, since even a single MS symptom is able to be managed to prevent progression of MS.
Related articles: MS Exacerbations | MS Fit | MS Foot Drop | MS and Memory Loss | MS Seizures | Multiple Sclerosis Sleeping | Demyelination Multiple Sclerosis | MS Vertigo | MS Exacerbation or Multiple Sclerosis Exacerbation | Multiple Sclerosis Occurrence | MS Stiffness | Multiple Sclerosis Muscle Weakness | MS Vibration |
