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MS symptoms are many and varied
Photo: Pamela Yelinek
So you’ve been noticing some peculiar things happening to you or someone you love, and you wonder if it could be MS? Maybe. But that ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 340 doesn’t get noted in a patient’s chart based on symptoms alone. There are also specific signs doctors must test for and observe as well. Too, MS is a brilliant mimicker, and often times a host of other maladies must be excluded first. Meanwhile, you’re still perplexed. Could it be Multiple Sclerosis? What are the symptoms?
It’s reported that 20-30% of MS patients first present with a bout of optic neuritis. Problems with walking, numbness, tingling, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and unexplained pain are all symptoms that could be related to Multiple Sclerosis. Intermittent or ongoing vertigo, slurred speech, tremor, and muscle spasms are also relatively common to the disease. An extremely painful, and rare, condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia can be associated with MS when it occurs in people under the age of 60.
Dizziness, tripping, and problems walking could be MS symptoms
Photo: Pamela Yelinek
On the other hand common things such as hiccups or difficulty swallowing are also known manifestations of the disease. Often times symptoms can be overlooked as folks make adjustments for them. Noticing your handwriting is changing can easily be excused as age or weariness rather than an indication of weakness. Something like heat sensitivity or sexual dysfunction can quickly be disregard as hormonal or weight related, whereas, dropping things, tripping, or falling gets labeled as clumsiness. Fatigue and depression are ignored because they can readily be attributed to stress, life circumstance, or heredity.
MS is not a cookie cutter disease and neither are its many and varied symptoms. Because it can impersonate illnesses like Systemic Lupus, Lyme’s Disease or even some cancers, it’s imperative to seek out a doctor (neurologist) who can make a proper diagnosis. And if you’ve already been diagnosed with MS, it’s equally important to remember that some of those annoying things you experience may not actually be due to your disease. After all, familiar things like numbness, tingling, pain and cognition problems are also symptoms of vitamin B and /or folic acid deficiency.
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MS is complex & mysterious, advocating for yourself doesn't have to be
Photo: Pamela Yelinek
Multiple Sclerosis is a mysterious and complex disease. Whether you’re searching for answers pre or post diagnosis, it’s important to talk to a qualified doctor about the symptoms that are bothering you. Be wise and stay involved with your health and your health care by acting as your own best advocate. There’s nothing perplexing about that.
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