Multiple sclerosis is among the so-called rare diseases. Still, it affects an impressive number of people, some of them very young. And the saddest thing is that it sometimes patients can never fully recover.
Data shows that this disease affects nearly 2.3 million people worldwide. Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and incurable disease, but fortunately its progression can be slowed down through treatment.
Why does multiple sclerosis occur?
What are the causes of the disease? The disease typically occurs when the immune system attacks the nerve cells, the myelin sheath of the brain, spinal cord and optical nerves. And while doing so it causes further inflammation and damage. This lesion can give a wide range of symptoms. These include muscle weakness, fatigue and vision difficulties and can lead to disability. It can produce significant physical disability within 20-25 years in more than 30% of patients. According to existing data, multiple sclerosis affects women twice as much as men.
For people with a family history of multiple sclerosis, the risk of developing affection increases, but specialists believe that not only genetic factors lead to this disease. Another notable thing is that this disease causes symptoms that mimic the signs of other illnesses, and thus making it difficult to diagnose.
A chameleonic disease
Most of the times, the signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis are: limb motor deficits, with spasticity and walking disturbances, sensitive disorders (eg paresthesia), equilibrium and coordination of movements, cranial nerve paresis (ophthalmoparesis with strabismus and diplopia, retrobulbar optic neuropathy), trigeminal neuralgia or spasms of the facial muscles, micturition disorders, inflammatory reactions of the spinal cord (transverse myelitis).
According to specialists, patients generally have the first symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40. These symptoms can gradually improve, but in most cases, they come back after a while. The unpredictable course of multiple sclerosis complicates the diagnosis process, which is why it is such a complicated condition.
The diagnosis is supported by the neurological examination and some paraclinical tests such as cerebral and medullar MRI, which confirms the demyelinating lesions and allows the doctor to trace the evolution of the disease. Lumbar puncture with cerebrospinal fluid examination, as well as evoked visual potentials (VEP), can help your doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis.
How can you live with multiple sclerosis?
Although multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and difficult disease, many patients manage to continue their work, following some recommendations from their doctors. Reducing stress, a balanced diet, avoiding rapid weight loss and getting adequate rest are some of the most important factors to keep in mind in order to alleviate the symptoms of the disease.
Open communication with family and close friends, availability to openly discuss about the illness and to ask for support is extremely important for the patient’s mood. The tendency for isolation and restraint to share concerns may further complicate how the patient manages his condition. Last but not least, the initiative to start an activity was, in some patients, the most appropriate treatment.
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