What are the mild symptoms of MS (multiple sclerosis)?!
Question: My friend has it and she gets tired easily, especially when hot. Heat will exacerbate the MS. At times she gets dizzy too. It depends on each person as the lesions in the brain will be in different places. It usually affects one side of the body more than the other. I work with patients with MS. I have had two this past week. Both of their speech is slurred a bit and slow. Both have one side significantly weaker than the other. One's mind is not as good as in memory type of stuff. It usually affects the vision, but not on my two patients.
Here is a list from WebMD.:
Multiple sclerosis symptoms generally appear between the ages of 20 and 40. The onset of MS may be dramatic or so mild that a person doesn't even notice any symptoms until far later in the course of the disease.
The most common early symptoms of MS include:
Tingling
Numbness
Loss of balance
Weakness in one or more limbs
Blurred or double vision
Less common symptoms of MS may include
Slurred speech
Sudden onset of paralysis
Lack of coordination
Cognitive difficulties
As the disease progresses, other symptoms may include muscle spasms, sensitivity to heat, fatigue, changes in thinking or perception, and sexual disturbances.
Fatigue . This is the most common symptom of MS. It is typically present in the mid afternoon and may consist of increased muscle weakness, mental fatigue, sleepiness, or drowsiness.
Heat sensitivity . Heat sensitivity (the appearance or worsening of symptoms when exposed to heat, like a hot shower) occurs in most people with MS.
Spasticity . Muscle spasms are a common and often debilitating symptom of MS. Spasticity usually affects the muscles of the legs and arms, and may interfere with a persons ability to move those muscles freely.
Dizziness. Many people with MS complain of feeling "off balance" or lightheaded. Occasionally they may experience the feeling that they or their surroundings are spinning; this is called vertigo. These symptoms are caused by damage in the complex nerve pathways that coordinate vision and other inputs into the brain that are needed to maintain balance.
Impaired thinking . Problems with thinking occur in about half of people with MS. For most, this means slowed thinking, decreased concentration, or decreased memory. Approximately 10% of people with the disease have severe impairment that significantly impairs their ability to carry out tasks of daily living.
Vision problems . Vision problems are relatively common in people with MS. In fact, one vision problem, optic neuritis, occurs in 55% of people with the condition. Most vision problems do not lead to blindness.
Abnormal sensations. Many people with MS experience abnormal sensations such as "pins and needles," numbness, itching, burning, stabbing, or tearing pains. Fortunately, most of these symptoms, while aggravating, are not life-threatening or debilitating and can be managed or treated.
Speech and swallowing problems . People with MS often have swallowing difficulties. In many cases, they are associated with speech problems as well. They are caused by damaged nerves that normally aid in performing these tasks.
Tremors . Fairly common in people with MS, tremors can be debilitating and difficult to treat.
Difficulty walking. Gait disturbances are amongst the most common symptoms of MS. Mostly this problem is related to muscle weakness and/or spasticity, but having balance problems or numbness in your feet can also make walking difficult.
Answers: My friend has it and she gets tired easily, especially when hot. Heat will exacerbate the MS. At times she gets dizzy too. It depends on each person as the lesions in the brain will be in different places. It usually affects one side of the body more than the other. I work with patients with MS. I have had two this past week. Both of their speech is slurred a bit and slow. Both have one side significantly weaker than the other. One's mind is not as good as in memory type of stuff. It usually affects the vision, but not on my two patients.
Here is a list from WebMD.:
Multiple sclerosis symptoms generally appear between the ages of 20 and 40. The onset of MS may be dramatic or so mild that a person doesn't even notice any symptoms until far later in the course of the disease.
The most common early symptoms of MS include:
Tingling
Numbness
Loss of balance
Weakness in one or more limbs
Blurred or double vision
Less common symptoms of MS may include
Slurred speech
Sudden onset of paralysis
Lack of coordination
Cognitive difficulties
As the disease progresses, other symptoms may include muscle spasms, sensitivity to heat, fatigue, changes in thinking or perception, and sexual disturbances.
Fatigue . This is the most common symptom of MS. It is typically present in the mid afternoon and may consist of increased muscle weakness, mental fatigue, sleepiness, or drowsiness.
Heat sensitivity . Heat sensitivity (the appearance or worsening of symptoms when exposed to heat, like a hot shower) occurs in most people with MS.
Spasticity . Muscle spasms are a common and often debilitating symptom of MS. Spasticity usually affects the muscles of the legs and arms, and may interfere with a persons ability to move those muscles freely.
Dizziness. Many people with MS complain of feeling "off balance" or lightheaded. Occasionally they may experience the feeling that they or their surroundings are spinning; this is called vertigo. These symptoms are caused by damage in the complex nerve pathways that coordinate vision and other inputs into the brain that are needed to maintain balance.
Impaired thinking . Problems with thinking occur in about half of people with MS. For most, this means slowed thinking, decreased concentration, or decreased memory. Approximately 10% of people with the disease have severe impairment that significantly impairs their ability to carry out tasks of daily living.
Vision problems . Vision problems are relatively common in people with MS. In fact, one vision problem, optic neuritis, occurs in 55% of people with the condition. Most vision problems do not lead to blindness.
Abnormal sensations. Many people with MS experience abnormal sensations such as "pins and needles," numbness, itching, burning, stabbing, or tearing pains. Fortunately, most of these symptoms, while aggravating, are not life-threatening or debilitating and can be managed or treated.
Speech and swallowing problems . People with MS often have swallowing difficulties. In many cases, they are associated with speech problems as well. They are caused by damaged nerves that normally aid in performing these tasks.
Tremors . Fairly common in people with MS, tremors can be debilitating and difficult to treat.
Difficulty walking. Gait disturbances are amongst the most common symptoms of MS. Mostly this problem is related to muscle weakness and/or spasticity, but having balance problems or numbness in your feet can also make walking difficult.
Not everybody has mild symptoms. Fifty percent of people have problems with vision. The problem can be mild in that a person might just have blurred vision, but that symptom can worsen to the point that the person becomes blind either temporarily or permanently. People with MS can also experience tingling in their limbs, but that tingling can become so severe that they become paralyzed. Most people with MS suffer fatigue that can be managed by taking a nap for 20 minutes. However, that fatigue can easily turn to exhaustion where the sufferer can barely get out of bed. MS is horribly unpredictable. I have had it for twenty years now. For four months my symptoms were so severe that I had to have someone with me at all times. My balance became so bad that I could barely walk and my speech was so slurred that people could barely understand what I was saying. So while we can have symptoms that are mild they can become severe in the blink of an eye. Some people have nothing but severe symptoms while others may have very mild symptoms all their lives. And for some the symptoms vary daily. For those of us who have relapsing remitting the symptoms come and go. But for others, MS is relentless and they may not be able to live independently.