Monitoring your well-being is the key to getting diagnosed for MS as soon as possible. Signs Multiple Sclerosis patients remember noticing first of all vary between each person. Some might have had symptoms considered being extremely rare or never before heard of in an MS patient. The initial symptoms are caused by the demyelination of nerves in the spinal cord and brain, which prevents nerve cells from receiving the signals needed to make the body function normally. The unfortunate part of MS is that it is caused when the immune system begins attacking otherwise healthy nerves.
White blood cells inside the body are used to fend off bacteria, viruses, and other illnesses, but in MS, these cells turn against the nerve cells and treat them like intruders. When the brain and spinal cord aren’t able to receive electrical signals effectively, the body tends to display an assortment of signs and symptoms.
These include weakness in a single or in multiple limbs, numbness or tingling, double or blurred vision, fatigue, a lack of coordination, dizziness, a spinning sensation, pain, sexual dysfunction, or a loss of balance. Less common symptoms include difficulty speaking or swallowing, hearing loss, headaches, itching, seizures, tremors, or trouble breathing easily. If left untreated, these primary symptoms can lead to more progressive types of symptoms, such as emotional changes, depression, or cognitive difficulties, just to name a few.
Medications Available for MS
The medications used to treat MS are mostly of the injectable variety, but a couple of oral medications have recently hit the market as well. There are three main types of medication. These treat attacks, prevent attacks, or help to manage symptoms of MS. Occasionally physical or occupational therapy is used in conjunction with MS meds.
For treating attacks, corticosteroids are the most common type of drug used for preventing inflammation of nerve tissue. Using corticosteroids over a long period of time can cause bone loss and hypertension. Performing a plasma exchange is a physical technique used to manage flare-ups. In this process, blood is removed from the body and separated from the plasma. The blood cells are then mixed with a synthetic fluid to take the place of the plasma and returned to the body. This latter method is used to treat MS patients who don’t respond to the corticosteroids.
Beta interferons are used on patients who have relapsing forms of Multiple Sclerosis. These are given via injection either into the muscle or under the skin. Glatiramer, natalizumab, and mitoxantrone are all used to reduce the number of attacks MS patient experiences. For relief from most symptoms, doctors might prescribe any number of muscle relaxants, anticonvulsant drugs, an antiviral medication or a stimulant, depending on the symptoms or signs Multiple Sclerosis patients are noticing.
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