Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease, a
non-contagious chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system which
can present with a variety of neurological symptoms occurring in attacks or
slowly progressing over time. It has no cure yet and the exact cause remains
unknown. Due to its effects of the nervous system, it can lead to long-term
impaired mobility and disability in the more severe cases of Multiple
Sclerosis.
Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis
A definite diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis requires
evidence for dissemination of lesions within the central nervous system both in
space and in time. This means
that not only must there exist evidence of at least two distinct lesions,
verifiable by clinical symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis or by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), there
must also be evidence of an occurrence of new symptoms or lesions of Multiple
Sclerosis within a time interval of at least 30 days. A lumbar puncture, which is a procedure done to
collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid, is useful for providing evidence of
chronic inflammation of the central nervous system, often indicated by oligoclonal banding. Nerve conduction studies of optic, sensory and motor nerves
can provide further evidence for Multiple Sclerosis, as the process of demyelination results in
reduced nerve conduction velocities. The diagnostic process of Multiple
Sclerosis is completed by
several laboratory tests to exclude other diseases that can mimic Multiple Sclerosis, such as
sarcoidosis, vasculitis, and Lyme disease.
It is recommended that Transfer
Factor Advanced Formula to be used in autoimmune conditions.
Transfer Factor Plus is generally preferred for
conditions caused by infection. Transfer Factors
suppress over acting immune system
to ease autoimmune conditions.
Early symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis affected individuals may experience
a wide variety of symptoms, such as
vision loss, double vision, nystagmus, difficulty with speech, various kinds of
tremor, clumsiness of the hands, unsteady gait, weakness, spasticity, numbness,
and bladder, bowel, as well as sexual dysfunction. Various cognitive
impairments are also common in Multiple Sclerosis, such as difficulty performing multiple tasks at
once, difficulty following detailed instructions, loss of short term memory,
depression, and fatigue.
Disease Course and Clinical Subtypes of
Multiple Sclerosis
In most cases Multiple Sclerosis starts with an acute flare-up of symptoms within hours to
days, called a relapse, exacerbation, bout, episode, or attack. Inflammation of
an optic nerve (optic neuritis), causing painfulness of eye movement and visual
deterioration frequently is the first symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. However, not all patients with
optic neuritis develop Multiple Sclerosis. Sensory disturbances such as numbness or tingling
sensations are other frequent initial symptoms. In principle, Multiple Sclerosis can start with
any of the symptoms mentioned in the section above.
Especially in early phases of Multiple Sclerosis disease, symptoms frequently decrease or
resolve spontaneously within days to months. Therefore, this disease course is
called relapsing remitting. New relapses can occur within weeks to many years
and can include formerly experienced and/or new symptoms. However, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
studies
have shown that nerve damage can continue in relapsing remitting patients even
if symptoms subside. It has long been known that "Multiple Sclerosis never sleeps".
This
highlights the importance of preventive treatment if and when it is available.
In many cases, the disease course changes after several years and Multiple
Sclerosis symptoms start to progress slowly with or without superimposed
relapses. This course is called secondary chronic-progressive, or just secondary
progressive. However, some patients stay in a relapsing remitting course for the
rest of their lives.
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