symptoms of multiple sclerosis

The wide variety of symptoms of multiple sclerosis makes it difficult to diagnose the disease. Each person may have different symptoms that will vary depending on the type of multiple sclerosis they have and the injuries caused by the disease. These lesions can occur in any part of the central nervous system, which means that their manifestations can also be multiple.

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis can be very different. The type of symptom and its evolution will depend on the person, the location of the lesions and whether it is relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis or one of the progressive forms. For each symptom there are different types of treatments.

Each case is unique: the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) vary from one person to another and each one will evolve in a different way depending on the damaged area and their body’s ability to recover .

On the other hand, the way in which symptoms appear and evolve will depend on the type of MS, whether it is relapsing-remitting or one of the progressive forms.

Symptoms of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)

People with RRMS will have symptoms in episodes or flare-ups. These flare-ups can last for days, weeks, or even months , and will vary from episode to episode depending on which area of ​​the central nervous system is damaged. Once the period of acute inflammation of the symptoms has elapsed, these usually improve, although sequelae may remain.

Some of the MS symptoms that can appear during flare-ups are:

• Vision problems: blurred or double vision, and pain with eye movements.
• Weakness in the extremities .
• Numbness or tingling of the arms, legs, trunk of the body or face.
• Pain
• balance problems
• Incontinence

More frequent signs of multiple sclerosis in progressive forms

In Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) or Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS) , the aforementioned symptoms, especially those related to motor strength and walking dexterity, appear progressively .

MS symptoms related to neurological damage , although they may appear early on, usually occur as the disease progresses. Some of these symptoms can be spasms, muscle stiffness (spasticity), memory or concentration problems, sexual and urinary incontinence, among some of them.

Another very common symptom in people with multiple sclerosis is depression, often related to the diagnosis of the disease. Fatigue, understanding it as excessive physical or mental fatigue, is also one of the most common and annoying symptoms. Very often it worsens at the end of the afternoon and can make physical or mental activity difficult.

All symptoms can be mild or severe, brief or persistent. A worsening of symptoms can occur with changes in temperature (especially with physical activity, fever, and sunlight) and stress .

read here more about diseases that affect the nervous system