Multiple Sclerosis - Understanding Its Effects!

Multiple Sclerosis or MS is an ailment that is mainly caused due to the degeneration of nerves in the body. The central nervous system is the main area affected by multiple sclerosis and it has been diagnosed that it occurs more in women than men. The main areas that are affected include optic nerves, brain, and spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis in other words also means scar tissues in multiple areas. There are 4 types of multiple sclerosis which include clinically isolated syndrome, relapse remitting, primary progressive, and secondary progressive.

Causes of Multiple Sclerosis

1. Multiple sclerosis is regarded as an autoimmune disorder and its exact cause is not known by the doctors. The disease causes demyelination of the brain cells and spinal cord.
2. People in the age group of 15-60 are the ones affected by this disease. According to scientists, the four main factors that cause this disease are virus, genetic, environmental and immunological.
3. It is a long-lasting disease that causes disturbances in the body functions.
4. The condition is examined by the doctors by checking the patient’s medical history, conducting neurological exams, and imaging scans.
5. The spinal fluid analysis is also a procedure that can rule out the possibility of multiple sclerosis.

Symptoms Caused by Multiple Sclerosis

• Some of the symptoms that are caused due to this disease include impaired coordination, pain, vision loss, and fatigue.
• The nerves in our body are coated with myelin sheath that protects the nerves.
• The myelin sheath also aids in the conduction of impulses all through the body.
• Inflammation is caused due to multiple sclerosis which eventually results in thinning and destroying of the sheath.
• The nerve without a coating is left with a scratch and this results in the nerve not functioning properly.
• Severe chronic symptoms are faced by patients so at times pain occurs in the eyes and back. In some patients the symptoms are mild thus the disease is not noticed in the early stages.
• The main symptoms include problems with thinking, memory, muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling. Many people even find trouble in walking due to multiple sclerosis.

Effects of Multiple Sclerosis

• The main effects of multiple sclerosis include problems like frequent urination or difficulty in emptying the bladder completely.
• It can also cause bowel problems, sexual dysfunction, vertigo, dizziness, fatigue, tremor, muscle spasms, depression, emotional changes, and inflammation of the optic nerve.
• The lesser known symptoms include swallowing problems, speech disorders, hearing loss, itching, breathing problems, and headache.
• It is an unpredictable disease and people are affected by this disease in different ways. In the early stages, it occurs as a subtle sensation for many people.