There are some symptoms that most MS sufferers have in common; Multiple Sclerosis tiredness or MS tiredness is just one of these, and can be particularly problematic for those patients who still work or who have a family to look after. There are several things you can do to make sure that you don’t suffer too much with MS tiredness or that it doesn’t become too much of a problem. Multiple Sclerosis tiredness is also described as fatigue, and is different from the tiredness you might experience after a few sleepless nights. MS tiredness is much more significant than that. It can often leave you feeling completely drained of energy and without the motivation to do anything. Research suggests that 85% of sufferers experience Multiple Sclerosis tiredness and many of those feel some level of fatigue every day. In fact, this kind of tiredness can be so extreme that it can even lead to other symptoms, such as hallucinations, memory problems and even physical problems like muscle spasms.
Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis tiredness
If you suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, there are some things you can look out for to help you decide if your symptoms are connected to MS tiredness or just a general lack of energy. Multiple Sclerosis tiredness usually gets worse as the day goes on and is present every day, no matter how much rest you get. The symptoms often come on quite suddenly, and can be aggravated by environmental factors, such as heat and humidity. You may notice that your fatigue is unchanging, no matter what physical activity you carry out or how much sleep you have; in this case, it is likely to be MS tiredness, rather than something not linked to the condition.
Different types of MS tiredness
There are actually two different kinds of Multiple Sclerosis tiredness; primary and secondary. Primary MS tiredness is caused by the direct actions of the disease upon the body, and particularly the central nervous system. This kind of MS tiredness is not at all linked to physical activity and can also be increased by external factors such as heat. Secondary Multiple Sclerosis tiredness, on the other hand, is linked to conditions that are linked to the MS itself. These conditions can include depression, medications which cause drowsiness, and even a lack of sleep, because you would need to get up to use the bathroom throughout the night.
