More women are diagnosed with MS than men; up to twice as many. Despite the fact that more are affected by MS, the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis in women tend to be very similar to those in men. Researchers are still unclear as to why this autoimmune disease afflicts women more than men.
Vision problems are a common symptom experienced by a woman with MS. Eye issues can range from involuntary eye movement to slightly blurred vision to blindness in one eye. It is rare that permanent blindness occurs in both eyes. The blurred or double vision might come and go as the disease goes in and out of remission. Pain might be felt as the eye moves from side to side as well, due to the demyelination of nerves in the eye.
Weakness in limbs is another symptom women have felt when MS is present. The weakness might be only in the hands or arms, feet or legs, or in all limbs. The severity of the weakness varies between individuals as well. One woman might have extreme weakness only on one side of the body, while another could only have it in one foot or hand. The location and level of weakness felt depends on where the demyelination of nerves has taken place and to what extreme.
A loss of balance can arise from the weakness in limbs, as well as additional symptoms. Shivers, muscle spasms, or tremors might be present in the limb lacking strength. Itching, burning, numbness, and tingling are common symptoms of ladies with MS, whether they have lost strength in limbs or not.
Other symptoms that might be present include; incontinence, depression, slurred speech, cognitive issues, trouble chewing or swallowing, a loss of sexual drive, and sometimes flu-like symptoms can arise.
Effects of Multiple Sclerosis in Women
Women between the ages of 20 and 40 are the most common age group affected by MS. This tends to be the range of years when a woman is thinking about many things; finishing college, starting a family, or pursuing a career. Being diagnosed with MS doesn’t mean these aspects of life are no longer possible, it just means there could be a struggle to make them happen easily.
Completing schooling is possible with proper management of MS and scholarships are available through the National MS Society to help pay for schooling. As for pursuing a career, plenty of individuals with MS are very successful. Finding a job that can be flexible might be something to consider.
Raising a family tends to be a common concern for a woman of child-bearing age when they’ve been diagnosed with MS. Thanks to the many years of research on Multiple Sclerosis, having children isn’t impossible. There are specific medications that can be used to safely manage the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis in women without causing harm to the unborn child.
