Things You Need to Know About Multiple Sclerosis

Things You Need to Know About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological condition that is a chronic disease which affects your life in any way since it can make an impact on your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves in your eyes. This disease causes problems with vision, muscle control, balance, and other basic body functions which makes the patient suffer daily.

Many individuals that are suffering this disease find basic tasks difficult such as walking, having balance problems, and difficulty in swallowing. However, multiple sclerosis can be so tricky to understand since there are no two cases alike. Thus, the information that you need to be able to understand this chronic condition will be tackled to help you comprehend this complex condition.

Multiple Sclerosis

What Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Does to Your Body

This chronic disease affects the nervous system caused when your immune system is not working properly, this then gradually impacts the whole body in the process. So, what happens inside your body when the immune system is deteriorating? the healthy nerve tissues get attacked by the body’s immune cells which affect the internal body’s system making it no longer respond healthily.

The Emotional Toll Living with MS

Having this condition not only limits your daily task but it also affects your feelings since you may experience a range of powerful emotions and it might take time for you to come in terms with multiple sclerosis as being a part of your life. People that live with this chronic condition find themselves in a situation that they can no longer do the things that they used to do thus there would be emotional changes and depression.

Any patient that suffers a chronic condition would find it hard to adjust to the idea that they now have this long-term disease, let alone that this condition is hard to predict since the cause of it is unknown and it has complex symptoms which also take a physical toll. All of these occurrence results to the fear of the unknown which can make on anxious.

Additionally, it does not help that the MS damages the nerve fibers in your brain which would certainly affect your emotions. Also, medications like corticosteroids that is used to treat multiple sclerosis can also impact your emotional well-being.

Symptoms

Since MS damages your brain, they can’t send signals through your body correctly. Thus, your nerves don’t work well as they should, as a result, you may have symptoms like trouble walking, feeling tired, muscle weakness, blurred vision, numbness and tingling, poor bladder or bowel control, pain, depression, and problems in focusing or remembering.

These first symptoms often start between ages 20 and 40. When the condition gets noticeably worse, most people with MS might have relapses or attacks and is usually followed by times of recovery when the symptoms improve. However, for other people, the disease progresses and continues to worsen over time.

Causes

The cause for multiple sclerosis is yet to be known, but there are many things that seem to cause the disease more likely such as there are certain genes that have higher chances of getting it. There’s also the habit of smoking that increases the risk.

Additionally, some people may get MS after a viral infection like the Epstein-Barr virus or the human herpesvirus 6 which makes the immune system to stop working normally due to the infection that may have triggered the disease. However, there’s still no clear link between the viruses and MS and is still studied up to this date.

Treatment

The cure for multiple sclerosis is unknown as for now, however, there are a number of treatments that can improve how you feel and keep your bodily function work well. The treatments that are available right now can be prescribed by your doctor to slow the course of the disease, prevent or treat the attacks, ease the symptoms, and help manage the stress that comes with this condition.

These are the drugs that may slow your multiple sclerosis or help slow the nerve damage:

  • Beta interferon (Avonex, Betaseron, and Rebif)
  • Copolymer-1 (Copaxone)
  • Dalfampridine (Ampyra)
  • Mitoxantrone (Novantrone)
  • Natalizumab (Tysabril)
  • Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus)
  • Teriflunomide (Aubagio)

In addition to the treatments, the doctor may give you steroids to lessen the period of your MS attacks and less severe. There are also other drugs that can help you ease the muscle spasms and treat other symptoms, such as tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, or botulinum toxin (Botox). Additionally, physical therapists and support groups that would help you both physically and mentally will help aid your life with multiple sclerosis.

Takeaway

Since this condition is lifelong, you should equip yourself with knowledge about this disease and ask for support from your family and loved ones. Living with multiple sclerosis might be incurable but treatments fare available to help ease the symptoms, multiple sclerosis drug coupons are available to help aid with the expenses.

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