Recognizing the Signs & Symptoms of MS

Whether this disease is new to you or you’ve had it for a long period of time, knowing whats going on with YOUR body is important. Depending on where the demylienated lesions are, lends to different symptoms that present themselves in many different ways.

Patients with brain lesions sometimes tend to have more of the cognitive issues, vision changes, headaches, slurred speech – which can sometimes be mistaken for stroke symptoms—when makes it even more important to know when to seek medical attention. Most of my lesions lie on my spinal cord, which means I have more extremity tingling and weakness, fatigue, numbness and pain in my arms and legs. Muscle spasms are also very common in the arms and legs and can attribute to the pain and weakness.

“Muscle spasms are also very common in the arms and legs and can attribute to the pain and weakness.”

During my first relapse, I noticed that my head seemed “foggy,” which is what most call the MS fog. I felt as if I could never get enough rest and that I was constantly tired. I was very forgetful and couldn’t keep even the simplest things straight in my head. I was extremely exhausted all the time, no matter how much sleep I got. All of these symptoms are mainly attributed to the deterioration of the nerves in the brain and spinal column because the immune system as begun to see these nerves as “foreign.”

Water - A Healing Source?

Taking in more water to be healthy is sometimes a double-edged sword for MS patients. Yes, water is good for everyone! But a lot of MS patients tend to deal with loss of bladder (and bowel control) and when you are constantly having to get up in the middle of the night, or walk far distances due to the disease causing urinary frequency and incontinence, this is makes life with MS even more difficult.