Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. The Mayo Clinic says MS causes the breakdown of the protective covering of nerve fibers, known as myelin. This leads to interruptions in communication between the brain and the body. Over time, the disease can cause permanent damage of the nerve fibers.
This nerve sheath damage will result in various symptoms over time. However, MS progresses differently in each individual case, and the severity of symptoms could differ as well. The following are the most common initial symptoms of MS, courtesy of Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Mayo Clinic.
• Blurred or double vision
• Red-green color distortion
• Pain and loss of vision due to swelling of the optic nerve
• Difficulty with balance and trouble walking
• Sensations like prickling, pins and needles, and other abnormal feelings
• Dizziness and a false sense that you or your surroundings are moving (vertigo) • Slurred speech
• Fatigue Additional symptoms may present over time. These can include electric-shock sensations that happen with certain neck movements. Also, trouble with bowel and bladder function and sexual function may occur. Loss of feeling and hearing or vision loss may occur as well.
Johns Hopkins says about half of all people with MS will have cognitive problems linked to the disease, such as difficulty focusing and maintaining attention. Memory issues and poor judgment also can occur.
Should a person experience any of these symptoms, it is not necessarily an early warning sign of MS. However, it is worth having a conversation with a doctor about what one is experiencing. There isn’t one test used to diagnose MS, and a person must have had at least two attacks at least one month apart to be diagnosed with the disease. A person also must have more than one area of damage to the central nervous system myelin. A health care provider can conduct a neurological exam and learn more.
