Multiple Sclerosis

Overview

MS, or Multiple sclerosis, is a chronic nerve condition that affects a person’s central nervous system. Myelin is a protective layer that ensconces nerve fibres and keeps them safe, but in multiple sclerosis, the immune system begins to attack myelin, causing inflammation and temporary abnormalities to the nerve fibres. MS can also cause lasting lesions because of by scarred tissue, which can make it difficult for your brain to function and send signals to the rest of your body. If you’re considering multiple sclerosis treatment, unfortunately there’s no cure for MS, and even the best multiple sclerosis doctor in the world can say otherwise. However, it is definitely possible for you to better manage the symptoms. Read on to understand what causes of MS, its treatment, and more. 

What are the symptoms of MS?

The difficulty in understanding MS lies in the fact that those who have MS will experience a whole host of symptoms which widely vary from person to person. MS disease treatment is also challenging because the severity of symptoms and their nature can also change every year, every month, and in some cases, every other day. 

Here are some common symptoms that are related to MS; 

Tiredness and fatigue

Almost 80 percent of people with MS have reported being fatigued or being constantly tired, as per the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). This accompanying fatigue with MS does make it very hard for people to go about doing their daily tasks.

Difficulty walking

The mixed signals in multiple sclerosis can cause issues while people walk because there is numbness in their legs or feet, inability to balance properly, weakness in the muscles and vision complications. This can be potentially harmful in case a person stumbles or falls trying to walk.

Complications with vision 

Any complications or issues with a person’s vision are quite often the first symptoms for people who have MS and these problems can affect either or both eyes, may come and go, can worsen over time and also resolve themselves on their own. By vision complications, we don’t mean poor eye power and the likes, that is not associated with multiple sclerosis. The vision problems associated with MS are optic neuritis, which causes pain and blurry vision. Double vision or diplopia is another possibility along with involuntary eye(s) movement called nystagmus. In some cases, complete loss of vision can also happen. 

Trouble with speech

The lesions in the brain caused by MS can affect speech. Speech issues, also called dysarthria, can be mild or severe and the symptoms of dysarthria can include slurred speech, or long pauses between words, and even inadvertent changes in volume.

Other common symptoms

Other fairly common symptoms associated with MS include tremors, acute or chronic pain, and cognitive issues with concentration, memory, and using words. There can also be difficulty while chewing and swallowing, sleeping and bladder control. 

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis

A neurological examination will be performed by a neurologist for MS diagnosis. If you’re unsure about any potential symptoms you may have already experienced and are considering multiple sclerosis treatment in Delhi, you can get in touch with us for a clear and comprehensive diagnosis and consultation with some of the best neurologists in Delhi. After understanding your clinical history, our neurologists will refer a series of tests to clearly determine if indeed you have MS.

MS diagnostic testing can include the following tests: 

• MRI scans- this will help the doctor detect active and inactive lesions throughout your brain and spinal cord.
• Spinal Tap or lumbar puncture- a neurologist may go for a spinal tap test to check for abnormalities in the spinal fluid, which will help rule out infectious diseases. It can also look for oligoclonal bands which can be useful for diagnosing MS.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT)- a picture of the nerve layers is taken in the back of the eye to check for any thinning around the optic nerve.
• Blood tests- for eliminating any possibility of other conditions that have symptoms similar to MS. 
• VEP test - visual evoked potentials analyse electrical activity in the brain.

In order to diagnose MS, neurologists need to find evidence of demyelination (destruction of myelin) at different times in across more than just one area of the brain, spinal cord, or optic nerves. Demyelination prevents nerves from properly sending signals.

A conclusive diagnosis will also require ruling out any other conditions with similar symptoms.

Treatment 

Medication for managing MS is widely available but in case it doesn’t work or is causing severe side effects, your doctor might suggest multiple sclerosis surgery treatment or other procedures,  referred to as functional neurosurgery. These procedures alter the way various parts of the nervous system function.

MS is a complicated disease and requires individual treatment plans for everyone affected by it, get in touch with us if you or anyone you know has MS and are considering options for treating the same.