World Multiple Sclerosis Day ~ Raising Awareness

World Multiple Sclerosis Day – May 30

Let’s research Multiple Sclerosis

The purpose of any day set aside to focus on a disease is to help educate people, raise awareness about symptoms and treatments, and to make suggestions about providing aid to both patients and caregivers. What IS Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? The term means “many scars.”

It refers to the areas that appear on the brain and spinal cord after the myelin sheath, which covers and protects our nerves, is damaged or dies. The damaged myelin leaves a lesion which can be identified by an MRI.

Symptoms often arise in people from age 20 – 40. The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation states that Multiple Sclerosis affects over 2.3 million people. Of course, that means it affects the families, friends, and co-workers of 2.3 million people also!

Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) in MS Patients

Please forgive my over-reliance on authoritative medical sources in this post. This is not a topic in which it is appropriate to give uninformed opinions, so we are relying on the experts for education.

According to https://www.multiplesclerosis.com/us/treatment.php,

Patients usually experience a first neurologic event suggestive of MS known as Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS). It lasts for at least 24 hours, with symptoms and signs indicating either a single lesion (monofocal) or more than one lesion (multifocal) within the central nervous system.¹

WebMD elaborates in simpler English.

“Early Signs of MS

For many people, the first brush with what’s later diagnosed as MS is what doctors call clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). This episode of neurological symptoms usually lasts 24 hours. It happens when your immune system mistakenly tells your body to attack myelin, the protective sheath over nerve cells in your brain and spine. You may hear your doctor call this demyelination. It causes scars, or lesions, that make it harder for signals to travel between your brain and your body.

 

There are two types of CIS:

• • Monofocal episode: You have one symptom.
  • Multifocal episode: You have more than one symptom…..

Usually the symptoms get better, but then they come back. Some come and go, while others linger.No two people have exactly the same symptoms. You may have a single symptom, and then go months or years without any others. A problem can also happen just one time, go away, and never return. For some people, the symptoms get worse within weeks or months.

 

Keep track of what’s happening to you. It’ll help your doctor monitor your disease and help her understand how well your treatment works.See More: A Visual Guide to Multiple Sclerosis.”

4 Primary Types of Multiple Sclerosis Diagnoses

Source: https://www.multiplesclerosis.com/us/treatment.php states that the categories describe how the disease affects the body over a period of time, as follows.

“THE 4 TYPES OF MS

• • Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS). This is the most common form of multiple sclerosis. About 85% of people with MS are initially diagnosed with RRMS. People with RRMS have temporary periods called relapses, flare-ups or exacerbations when new symptoms appear²
  • Secondary-Progressive MS (SPMS). In SPMS, symptoms worsen more steadily over time, with or without the occurrence of relapses and remissions. Most people who are diagnosed with RRMS will transition to SPMS at some point³
  • Primary-Progressive MS (PPMS). This type of MS is not very common, occurring in about 10% of people with MS. PPMS is characterized by slowly worsening symptoms from the beginning, with no relapses or remissions²
  • Progressive-Relapsing MS (PRMS). A rare form of MS (5%), PRMS is characterized by a steadily worsening disease state from the beginning, with acute relapses but no remissions, with or without recovery.”

More About the Causes and Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Source: https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/multiple-sclerosis-symptoms#1

How Do  Doctors Determine Whether You Have MS?

According to https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350274,

There are no specific tests for MS. Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis.

The doctor may suggest tests. Go to the website for pictures and descriptions of these techniques.

• Blood tests, to help rule out other diseases with symptoms similar to MS. Tests to check for specific biomarkers associated with MS are currently under development and may also aid in diagnosing the disease.

• Spinal tap (lumbar puncture), in which a small sample of fluid is removed from your spinal canal for laboratory analysis. This sample can show abnormalities in antibodies that are associated with MS. A spinal tap can also help rule out infections and other conditions with symptoms similar to MS.

• MRI, which can reveal areas of MS(lesions) on your brain and spinal cord. You may receive an intravenous injection of a contrast material to highlight lesions that indicate your disease is in an active phase.

• Evoked potential tests, which record the electrical signals produced by your nervous system in response to stimuli. An evoked potential test may use visual stimuli or electrical stimuli, in which you watch a moving visual pattern, or short electrical impulses are applied to nerves in your legs or arms. Electrodes measure how quickly the information travels down your nerve pathways.

Please go back to the Mayo Clinic webpage link if you would like a long list of potential medications and other treatments for MS symptoms.