The Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system attacks itself. It attacks the tissue, cells, and organs. This condition is a chronic, long-term condition that affects the central nervous system. This also includes the brain and spinal cord. Over 400,000 people in the US have been diagnosed with MS.

Scientists believe MS is the result from an abnormal response to an infection or an environmental factor. Studies show genetics may play a role in the development of multiple sclerosis but are shown not to be the sole cause of the disease. Although research does not know the cause for MS, they suggest that environmental factors and infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria have been proposed as triggers.

Multiple sclerosis diagnosis begins with a complete neurological examination and discussion of your full medical history with your doctor. Your doctor will do an overall view of your health, including symptoms you may have and when they started. Your doctor may use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help diagnose multiple sclerosis at an early age providing a detailed picture of the brain. When diagnosed with MS in it's early stage treatment can begin right away. Other tests your doctor may perform include a spinal tap, which checks spinal fluid for signs of MS, or evoked potential tests, which measure how a person's nervous system responds to certain stimulation. No one test can identify or rule out MS. Your doctor may want you to have several teats done or procedures.

There are two ways to treat MS. One is to treat the symptoms, and two is to treat the underlying disease to reduce the number of flare-ups and slow the progression of physical disability. Not all multiple sclerosis treatments have the same effect on the underlying of the disease. It is best to choose a treatment that is proven to slow down the progression of physical disability and reduce relapses.

MS treatments are administered by injections. There's a difference in the type of injections and how often they are given to an MS patient. One of the drugs used to treat MS is Avonex. This requires one injection per week, while other MS treatments require three to seven injections per week. Avonex is the only intramuscular treatment.

Some of the symptoms of MS are double vision, eye pain, muscle weakness-partial or mild paralysis, loss of muscle tone causing stiffness, slurred speech, spasms, cramps, involuntary leg movements, facial pain, urinary urgency and incontinence, bowel urgency and incontinence, and swallowing problems. These are just a few of the symptoms people with MS may have. If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, it does not mean you have MS. Although, it is best to make an appointment with your physician and discuss these symptoms you are having.