Fatigue has been described as an “overwhelming sense of tiredness.” Up to 80 percent of people with MS experience the disabling effects of fatigue. This overwhelming tiredness could occur any time in the course of MS, and it has not been shown to be related to measures of disability like the EDSS (Extended Disability Status Scale). Many people with MS find that fatigue increases as the day goes on, and worsens with a rise in body temperature, which might be caused by hot and humid weather.
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Numbness
A very common symptom of MS is numbness, often in the limbs or across the body in a band-like fashion.
Read News ArticlePain
More than 50 percent of individuals with MS identify pain as a significant symptom. For many years, the medical community did not support the idea that pain could be caused by the effects of MS, but physicians today recognize that pain is a common symptom.
Read News ArticleSleep Issues
There is nothing like a good night’s sleep to restore oneself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Unfortunately, more than half of people with MS experience difficulty sleeping. Inadequate sleep leads to fatigue, the most common and one of the most debilitating symptoms of MS. It also causes daytime drowsiness, lack of mental clarity, and a reduced ability to use one’s resources to solve problems.
Read News ArticleUhthoff’s Syndrome
Uhthoff’s syndrome is described by patients as a dimming or reduction in vision, usually associated with exercise or overheating. It indicates partial myelin damage along the optic nerve as the visual signal goes from the eye to the brain. As a person’s temperature rises, even by less than one degree, the ability to conduct nerve impulses along damaged nerves is reduced. This visual problem improves with rest.
Read News ArticleVisual Disorders
Visual problems are common among those with MS and are often a first sign of the disease.
Read News ArticleWeakness
Individuals may experience weakness for different reasons. For people with MS, demyelination interrupts the flow of nerve impulses in the spinal cord or (less frequently) in the brain that keep a muscle or group of muscles functioning properly. As a result, muscles lose strength.
Read News ArticleIntroduction to Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Management
While MS has the potential to cause several different symptoms, the specific symptoms each person experiences vary greatly. When experiencing one or more of these symptoms, an individual should consult his or her physician. Medications are available to treat many MS symptoms.
Read News ArticleMS Symptom Listing
Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience one or more of a variety of symptoms, possibly affecting individuals physically, emotionally/mentally/psychologically, and/or in ways that others can’t see (the “invisible” symptoms of MS). The types and severity of symptoms differ greatly between people with MS, so one person’s experience with this disorder may be very different from another’s.
Read News ArticleMultiple Sclerosis Symptom Medications
A number of effective treatments are available to reduce the effects of most MS symptoms. Several drugs mentioned (in the listing to follow) are not specifically approved for MS by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA); however, doctors may prescribe these drugs “off-label” for some of their patients, if appropriate.
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