Symptoms

Symptoms of MS can range from mild to severe and short term to long term. Depending on what part of the nervous system it is located in, different types of symptoms will occur. The following symptoms are the most common found with this disease: Loss of sensation Speech impediments Tremor Dizziness Hearing loss Double vision Bowel and bladder dysfunction Sexual dysfunction Pain Emotional changes

Multiple Sclerosis as a Whole

What Is Multiple Sclerosis? This is a chronic disease where there is a destruction of the Myelin sheath. What Causes Multiple Sclerosis? There are many causes to MS; however, the most possible cause of this disease is when the bodys nervous system attacks its own nervous tissue that is covered with a layer of protein. This layer of protein provides insulation for electrical signals that the nervous system uses to communicate. When this layer is destroyed, communication becomes interrupted and parts of the nervous system become permanently damaged.

Multiple Sclerosis

Pathophysiology

In this brochure, there is information on multiple sclerosis when found before, during, and after pregnancy.

Medications/Treatments
And Diet Recommendations
There are different ways of treatment that one can take when having MS. The following are treatment options: Long-term Treatment- This consist of disease-modified therapies which include many different drugs that help slow activity and progression. Treating Relapses- This treatment helps control any sudden flair ups that may occur or come back. Symptom Management- This is taken upon by not only the individual but the doctor such as rehabilitation and exercise. When experiencing MS, it is important to know the dietary recommendations for this disease. It has been found that a diet with low saturated fats such as fish and sunflowers seeds can be beneficial.

Diagnostic Tools

Other Recommendations
Some diets have been found to be harmful because the foods tend to contain toxic amounts of certain vitamins, or exclude important nutrients. Some patients of MS lean more to a low fat, high fiber diet which is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) or and American Cancer Society (ACS). Most of the dietary recommendations is determined by how severe of a case the MS is. It is also sometimes determined by the type of symptoms that the patient is experiencing, which will also determine how far long the MS is and/or how severe it is.

The following exams and tests are used when the diagnostics of multiple sclerosis is taking place: Medical History and Neurologic Exam This is when the physician carefully looks at past medical exams to identify any past symptoms. MRI This allows doctors to scan the CNS for any scarring tissues that are present. Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) This is a test that records the electrical responses for specific identification of irregular responses. Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis Most people know this by a spinal tap which detects the levels of proteins and oligoclonal glands Blood Tests This is a way for doctors to rule out diseases/disorders that cause symptoms related to MS.