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What are the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?
The central nervous system (CNS) controls much of the body's functioning and much of this activity passes through the white matter at some point. It is not surprising, therefore, that a disease which damages white matter can produce a very wide range of symptoms. Indeed, there are few diseases with more potential symptoms than multiple sclerosis.
In this section, I list many of the symptoms of MS and, in the next section, I will list some of their treatments.
Few of the symptoms of MS are unique to the disease and, even if you have one or more of them, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have multiple sclerosis. However, all of these symptoms deserve medical attention and you should see a doctor if you develop any of them.
I've arranged the symptoms into these groupings: Visual, Motor, Sensory, Coordination and Balance, Bowel, Bladder and Sexual, Cognitive and Others. Please remember that most people with MS won't get most of these symptoms and the ones that seem the most terrifying usually only manifest themselves in the later stages of the disease.
I want to skim through
each symptom at quite a high level and discuss them in more detail in the
encylopaedia. I've set up links to the encylopaedia pieces for each one. As is
usual with stuff on this site, it's all work in progress. This section
more than any other will take time to complete, but you can see it while
it builds up.
| Visual Symptoms | |
| Symptom | Description |
| Optic Neuritis | Blurred vision, eye pain, loss of colour vision, blindness |
| Diplopia | Double Vision |
| Nystagmus | Jerky Eye Movements |
| Ocular Dysmetria | Constant under- or overshooting eye movements |
| Internuclear Ophthalmoplegia | Lack of coordination between the two eyes, nystagmus, diplopia |
| Movement and sound phosphenes | Flashing lights when moving eyes or in response to a sudden noise |
| Afferent Pupillary Defect | Abnormal pupil responses |
| Motor Symptoms | |
| Symptom | Description |
| Paresis, Monoparesis, Paraparesis, Hemiparesis, Quadraparesis | Muscle weakness - partial or mild paralysis |
| Plegia, Paraplegia, Hemiplegia, Tetraplegia, Quadraplegia | Paralysis - Total or near total loss of muscle strength |
| Spasticity | Loss of muscle tone causing stiffness, pain and restricting free movement of affected limbs |
| Dysarthria | Slurred speech and related speech problems |
| Muscle Atrophy | Wasting of muscles due to lack of use |
| Spasms, Cramps | Involuntary contraction of muscles |
| Hypotonia, Clonus | Problems with posture |
| Myoclonus, Myokymia | Jerking and twitching muscles, Tics |
| Restless Leg Syndrome | Involuntary Leg Movements, especially bothersome at night |
| Footdrop | Foot drags along floor during walking |
| Dysfunctional Reflexes | MSRs, Babinski's, Hoffman's, Chaddock's |
| Sensory Symptoms | |
| Symptom | Description |
| Paraesthesia | Partial numbness, tingling, buzzing and vibration sensations |
| Anaesthesia | Complete numbness/loss of sensation |
| Neuralgia, Neuropathic and Neurogenic pain | Pain without apparent cause, burning, itching and electrical shock sensations |
| L'Hermitte's | Electric shocks and buzzing sensations when moving head |
| Proprioceptive Dysfunction | Loss of awareness of location of body parts |
| Trigeminal Neuralgia | Facial pain |
| Coordination and Balance Symptoms | |
| Symptom |
|
| Ataxia | Loss of coordination |
| Intention tremor | Shaking when performing fine movements |
| Dysmetria | Constant under- or overshooting limb movements |
| Vestibular Ataxia | Abnormal balance function in the inner ear |
| Vertigo | Nausea/vomitting/sensitivity to travel sickness from vestibular ataxia |
| Speech Ataxia | Problems coordinating speech, stuttering |
| Dystonia | Slow limb position feedback |
| Dysdiadochokinesia | Loss of ability to produce rapidly alternating movements, for example to move to a rhythm |
| Bowel, Bladder and Sexual Symptoms | |
| Symptom | Description |
| Frequent Micturation, Bladder Spasticity | Urinary urgency and incontinence |
| Flaccid Bladder, Detrusor-Sphincter Dyssynergia | Urinary hesitancy and retention |
| Erectile Dysfunction | Male and female impotence |
| Anorgasmy | Inability to achieve orgasm |
| Retrograde ejaculation | Ejaculating into the bladder |
| Frigidity | Inability to become sexually aroused |
| Constipation | Infrequent or irregular bowel movements |
| Fecal Urgency | Bowel urgency |
| Fecal Incontinence | Bowel incontinence |
| Cognitive Symptoms | |
| Symptom | Description |
| Depression | |
| Cognitive dysfunction | Short-term and long-term memory problems, forgetfulness, slow word recall |
| Dementia | |
| Mood swings, emotional lability, euphoria | |
| Bipolar syndrome | |
| Anxiety | |
| Aphasia, Dysphasia | Impairments to speech comprehension and production |
| Other Symptoms | |
| Symptom | Description |
| Fatigue | |
| Uhthoff's Symptom | Increase in severity of symptoms with heat |
| Gastroesophageal Reflux | Acid reflux |
| Impaired sense of taste and smell | |
| Epileptic seizures | |
| Swallowing problems | |
| Respiratory problems | |
| Sleeping Disorders | |
| Inappropriately cold body parts | |
| Autonomic nervous system problems | |
Prognosis
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