Multiple sclerosis symptoms are complex and can change from one person to the next. Individuals that find themselves struggling with these symptoms, or believe that they should be, should seek out medical attention as soon as possible. With accurate diagnosis and timely treatment, individuals can minimize the pain and aggressiveness of the disease. Since many people do not realize that they are at risk for the disease, knowing what the symptoms are can make treatment more effective and faster.
Who Is At Risk?
Individuals that have a family history of multiple sclerosis should be very conscious of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. It is known to run in families, though this is not always the case. Some individuals develop MS, as it is called, without any known cause. While you are born with the condition, most individuals do not see any signs or symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis until they are between 20 and 40 years old. In rare cases, individuals of other ages can develop the symptoms of the condition as well.
What makes Multiple Sclerosis so serious in terms of monitoring your symptoms is that the symptoms portray themselves differently from one individual to the next. In some individuals, the onset of these symptoms may be very intense and fast, instantly causing them to notice. For others, the onset is much more gradual. This is in fact the most common onset. Yet, it is also likely that the disease may show no signs or symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly. Usually, symptoms are present, but individuals do not realize that they are there because the symptoms are very mild. Regardless, most individuals see some symptoms but do not pay attention to them enough to get the necessary help they need.
Most Common Symptoms Experienced
Some Multiple Sclerosis symptos are considered to be common. These are symptoms that most patients that are diagnosised with Multiple Sclerosis will experience in various degrees.
- Tingling or a strange feeling in their body, usually the muscles of the legs or arms
- Numbness in the body that is unexplainable
- A feeling of being unbalanced, unable to steady themselves, or a loss of balance while not activities have brought it on
- Vision that is distorted, usually blurred vision that comes and goes or double vision that is new and not experienced as often in the past
- Limbs can become weak, or the feeling of being unable to do the things that you are used to doing with your limbs, one or more of the limbs can be effected
Nearly all patients will experience these symptoms during the onset of multiple sclerosis, though to various degrees. As the disease progresses, symptoms may become continuously more relevant and pronounced.
Additional Symptoms You May Have
Some multiple sclerosis patients will have additional or different multiple sclerosis symptoms. These include the following:
- Speech that is slurred, generally something that begins to happen without warning or reason, and begins to become more frequent as time goes on
- Paralysis that comes on suddenly may be a symptom; this condition may be one of the sudden onsets of the disease in patients that may not have had any symptoms prior to this point.
- Inability to coordinate, lack of coordination may be small or larger, depending on the individual, usually it is brought on suddenly
- Cognitive difficulties may exist to various degrees based on the individual
Progression Brings Additional Symptoms
As multiple sclerosis worsens, the symptoms of the disease will begin to worsen as well. There are additional multiple sclerosis symptoms that you may experience as well. This includes the following:
- Muscle spasms anywhere on the body through the limbs are particularly problematic
- Sensitivity to heat may develop
- Changes to the way that you think or the way that you perceive things in your everyday life
- Fatigue that grows in amount without any actually physical reason for it to be present
- Sexual problems, changes or inabilities may occur as well
As the multiple sclerosis worsens, the symptoms of the condition will continue to change and will likely become more pronounced in the individual’s daily life. Multiple sclerosis symptoms should be monitored closely.
Fatigue is one of the most commonly associated symptoms. Individuals are not just tired as an average person would be after a long day at work. Rest usually does not bring much relief. More so, MS is likely to cause the onset of fatigue by the middle of the afternoon. This can include both emotional and physical exhaustion. The individual may feel drowsy and sleepy.
Muscle spasms are another common diagnosised symptom of this disease. Individuals commonly must deal with spasms of any and all muscles though they usually affect the leg muscles and arm muscles most often. When a spasm happens, individuals are likely to be unable to control or move the muscles themselves. Instead, they may have to deal with the inability to function until the spasms stop and any repercussions are handled. This is often debilitating to sufferers of MS. As part of this spasticity, many sufferers also face the inability to walk or to walk correctly. For those suffering from the condition, the gait is disturbed and this can be caused by problems balancing, spasms or it can be because the feet become numb.
Multiple Sclerosis can impair the individual mentally as well. About ten percent of individuals will face severe inflictions of this type that will eventually cause them to be unable to go through life doing everyday activities. Impaired thinking can be seen in a slowness of speaking and thinking, or the lack of concentration. Many face a memory that is decreasing quickly.
Those that suffer from multiple sclerosis symptoms are likely to need medical attention as the symptoms progress. With the help of a doctor and the appropriate treatment, most individuals see improvement in their daily lives. In many cases, these treatment options also help to hold off the progression of the disease, giving individuals the ability to live a healthy life, longer.