possible symptoms of ms

What are the possible symptoms of MS?

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks itself as if it is a foreign invader that it needs to protect itself against. MS attacks the central nervous system in our bodies, which includes the potential of attacking any part of the large number of nerves throughout the body and causing potential ms nerve damage.

MS is particularly known for attacking and causing damage to the myelin sheath along the spinal cord and with attacking the Blood Brain Barrier, that surrounds and protects the brain from toxins being able to enter it.

Myelin is present in large quantities along the spinal cord and through out the brain, but it is also present in smaller quantities on different nerves through out the central nervous system. Myelin also serves a similar function of insulating and protecting the nerves from damage, in addition to aiding in the transfer of nerve signals smoothly.

An example of this type of nerve would be the optic nerve. Because the optic nerve does not have myelin to help to protect it from being attacked, MS can attack and damage the optic nerve more easily than other nerves, which can result in Multiple Sclerosis optic neuritis. Optic neuritis can be mild to severe. In more severe cases of MS, the optic nerve can sometimes be so severely damaged that it may even result in damage to the eye and/or partial or even total loss of sight in one or both eyes.

Our brains are the master controllers for our entire body. When something, like Multiple Sclerosis, causes scarring or damage to the brain, many things can be much more difficult for us to do on a daily basis. So much of what our bodies can do are so strongly affected by the scrambling or blocking of the nerve signals that the brain sends throughout the rest of the body, which can cause any combination of a long list of possible symptoms of MS, which can result.

Multiple Sclerosis is especially known for attacking and causing damage to the myelin sheath along the spinal cord and with attacking the Blood Brain Barrier, that surrounds and protects the brain.

Myelin is present in large quantities along the spinal cord, but it is also present in smaller quantities throughout the nerves through out the central nervous system and also serves a similar function of insulating and protecting the nerves from damage, in addition to aiding in the transfer of nerve signals smoothly.

Some nerves throughout the nervous system so not have myelin present to help protect and insulate the nerves, leaving these particular nerves easier to damage if they are attacked.

Our brains are the master controllers for our entire body. When something, like Multiple Sclerosis, causes scarring or damage to the brain, many things can be much more difficult for us to do on a daily basis. So much of what our bodies can do are so strongly affected by the scrambling or blocking of the nerve signals that the brain sends throughout the rest of the body that there can be a long list of possible symptoms of MS that can result.

The myelin sheath is a fatty tissue along the spinal cord that surrounds and protects the nerves, as well as aids in helping the nerve signal to reach its final destination throughout the various parts of the body. Myelin is present in large quantities along the spinal cord, but it is also present in smaller quantities throughout the nerves through out the central nervous system and also serves a similar function of insulating and protecting the nerves from damage, in addition to aiding in the transfer of nerve signals smoothly.

Some nerves throughout the nervous system do not have myelin present to help protect and insulate the nerves, leaving these particular nerves easier to damage if they are attacked by MS. An example of this would be the retinal nerve that leads between the eyes and the brain. This can be one of the reasons that many people diagnosed with MS have more problems with ms vision, with ms eye pain or with problems with vision becoming more intermittent, where how well your vision functions one day is different from the next. For us to see, we need the retinal nerve to function and we need to be able to see light. The degree of light that we can see also determines how well we can see or define objects.

Multiple Sclerosis is also known for attacking the Blood Brain Barrier, which is a membrane that surrounds and protects the brain from toxins and other substances from entering into the brain and causing confusion or damage to the brain. Our brains have no way of getting rid of toxins, once they enter the brain. This is why it becomes a very big problem when anything compromises the integrity of the Blood Brain Barrier.

Our brains are the master controllers for our entire body. When something, like Multiple Sclerosis, causes scarring or damage to the brain, many things can be much more difficult for us to do on a daily basis. So much of what our bodies can do are so strongly affected by the scrambling or blocking of the nerve signals that the brain sends throughout the rest of the body that there can be a long list of symptoms
of Multiple Sclerosis that can result.

Before most people are diagnosed with MS, their early MS symptoms are not as severe as mine were. Most of the time, the initial ms symptoms are very subtle and not recognized as Multiple Sclerosis.

Part of this occurs because it often happens that it isn't until several symptoms that come and go over a period of time are linked together, that those who have the early symptoms of ms make the association of these odd symptoms together -- that are being caused by the same underlying condition.

On top of this, most people, whether they realize it or not, have an unconscious habit of discounting things as not being anything. It often isn't until a person experiences early ms symptoms often enough for a pattern to emerge that raises questions or concerns that there may be something more going on than just something minor that we should discount as "nothing".

The list of the possible symptoms of MS can include:

Memory problems (ms memory): You start forgetting things more often, and it is much more than just forgetting where you put your car or house keys.

Cognitive problems (multiple sclerosis cognitive): You can start to have more problems figuring things out that were not a problem before. Things that people say to you begin to becoming more confusing to you or you start to have more problems connecting with what is going on around you.

Vision problems (ms eye or ms vision): You start to have more problems focusing when you are looking at things or you sometimes see double or things look dimmer, like the lights are turned down low, even if you are actually around brighter lights, possible partial loss of vision that is temporarily a problem, then returns, possible eye pain (nerve pain) - may or may not be present.

Hand problems (ms fine finger): Hand control and fine finger control (or dexterity) becomes a problem. It might become more difficult to pick things up or you might have more problems with dropping things on the floor or with holding onto things, hand pain (nerve pain) possible, skin problems (skin can become dried and cracked so that it becomes painful), nerve pain in the hands may or may not be present.

Legs problems (ms leg) - trouble walking, standing, balancing, as well as leg pain, numbness of legs, sciatica (leg nerve pain), leg spasms, loss of muscle strength in legs, nerve function problems with legs resulting in knees collapsing and can not support weight of body for standing and walking.

Dizziness and Balance problems -

Foot problems (ms foot or ms feet): You start having more problems controlling or picking up one or both of your feet (foot drop or lack of foot control is what are the most common for initial foot problems), foot numbness, loss of control of feet, foot pain (nerve pain), skin dryness on feet.

Joint problems (ms ankles, ms knees, ms wrists, shoulders, hips): This can include any joints throughout the body and can be more like arthritis stiffness and pain or more like achy joints that makes it uncomfortable to lie down or sit for extended periods of time.

Possible Hearing loss (ms hearing): This may be a minor loss or become a major problem.

Dizziness and ms and/or Loss of Balance - (ms balance): This may be a minor loss or become a major problem.

Loss of Muscle Strength (ms muscle): Arms, Legs, Hands and Feet can lose muscle strength and muscle control.

Numbness, tingling or pins and needles feelings (ms numbness): This can be a problem that can occur anywhere in the body, but the most common places that numbness typically starts to appear is in the hands, feet, arms, legs, neck, shoulders, back or somewhere on the face.

Nerve Pain (ms pain): This type of pain can either come and go or be continuous to where it may become unbearable, but more often than not this is usually a later Multiple Sclerosis symptom that appears later in the disease progression, after the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has been given. Nerve pain is typically a shooting pain that travels along the nerves like sciatic pain that travels up the back of one or both of the legs. MS nerve pain can be found most often in the legs, arms, hands or feet, but the nerve pain can appear anywhere in the body, based on which part of the Central Nervous System (CNS) (the Brain, the spinal cord and the rest of the nerves throughout the body) is attacked and damaged by the Multiple Sclerosis. Nerve pain can also be triggered by where the scarring ends up after MS attacks the nerves throughout the brain or the pain center of the body.

Eye Pain (ms eye or ms pain) : This can be in one or both eyes or actually be a problem with the retinal nerve itself. This can be an intense pain that comes and goes or is constant and does not seem to go away.

Balance problems (ms balance): This is where standing, walking or sitting balance is affected and it makes you feel like you are unable to keep from falling over (even if you do not actually fall over to the side or fall onto the floor). This can also mean that walking up and down steps becomes more difficult to do, without falling down the steps.

Loss of Muscle Control or Muscle Weakness (ms muscle): This can affect your hands, arms, legs, feet or just about any part of your body where there are muscles. This can mean -- that it is more difficult to pick things up, walking and standing can become more difficult because it is harder for you to support your own body weight to be able to stand or walk for longer periods of time, hand strength can be reduced, it can become difficult for you get up off of whatever you are sitting on, because the thigh muscles can become weakened to the point where it becomes more difficult for you to push off of a chair to stand up.

Spasms, Tremors, Twitches, Ticks or Involuntary Muscle Contractions (multiple sclerosis spasticity, ms spasms, ms twitch, ms ticks): This can happen anywhere in the body but the main areas that these typically appear are the legs, arms, hands or feet. It is like you start having uncontrollable movements of your legs, arms, hands and feet to the point where you look like you are trying to jump off of the chair that you are sitting on, or it looks like you are trying to dance while sitting down, your legs and feet look like they are kicking or your hands or arms appear to be moving on their own.

Joint pain or Stiffness (ms joint) This can be where any of the joints are sore, stiff or painful, like arthritis pain. This can be found in any joint (ms hip, ms shoulder, ms wrist, ms ankle.

The above MS symptoms can be anywhere from mild to severe and can be present in any combination. Your particular case of MS may have some of the symptoms, with some of being severe, and at the same time you can have some Multiple Sclerosis symptoms that a very mild. Only part of these symptoms of MS may be and some of them may nor be present at all.

If you suspect that you may have Multiple Sclerosis, but have not been diagnosed at this point, check with your doctor. There are tests that can be performed to determine if Multiple Sclerosis is actually present. The tests can include having one or more mri test performed on the brain or the spinal cord, a retinal scan of the optic nerve, or brain scans to determine if the characteristic scarring is present in the brain or along the spinal cord. Another type of test that can also be performed is a spinal tap, where a sample of spinal fluid is taken from the spine and analyzed for protein markers that are specifically linked with the presence of Multiple Sclerosis in the body.

A newer scan is being developed for viewing into the eyes to determine if scarring or tumors is present in the brain that appears to be a potential test that is much easier to run on someone to determine if Multiple Sclerosis is present.

To find out more information about Multiple Sclerosis and more about ways to help with reducing the symptoms of MS, complete the form below to subscribe to our FREE Multiple Sclerosis Report.