Multiple sclerosis is quite difficult to be diagnosed because its symptoms vary according with its stages. The diagnosis is sustained by the fluctuated symptoms, relapses and remissions. In young people multiple sclerosis occurs with the following symptoms: blurred vision, suddenly double vision and movement problems and abnormal sensations in scattered parts of the body and it may be mistaken with other diseases such as: emotional disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme disease. Many laboratory tests may be applied, but none of them is specific for multiple sclerosis not even magnetic resonance imaging which has very good results.
Bright multiple sclerosis and plaques are apparent, obscures the multiple sclerosis plaque in the brain in magnetic resonance imaging. For diagnosing multiple sclerosis there must be two repeated attacks at intervals of at least one month, the damage to myelin must be extended to one area in the central nervous system. Tests used in the examination of multiple sclerosis are: magnetic resonance imaging, evoked potential, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood tests, clinical examination and tests of function.
The doctor discusses with the patient and in the same time with taking the history he reviews the functions of the 5 senses, mental, emotional and language functions age, sex, birth place and family history are important. Additional tests may be applied to make a clear cut diagnosis: evoked nerve potentials, cerebrospinal fluid and blood. In multiple sclerosis the nervous system is evaluated and the back of the eye is examinated with an ophthalmoscope. AIDS, lupus, arteritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary ataxias, Guillain-Barr syndrome, Lyme disease syphilis, a cyst in the spinal cord are the diseases with which differential diagnosis must be done so as to clarify the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
In multiple sclerosis the brain's response to the stimuli such as: flashing lights and other sensory stimuli are slow because of the interrupted conduction through demyelinated nerve fibers. It is important to maintain an active lifestyle with physical exercises such as: riding a stationary bicycle, swimming, walking, stretching that reduces spasticity and maintain a muscular, cardiovascular, psychologic health. Do not expose yourself at high temperatures and do not have hot baths or showers.
Evoked potential tests are electrical conducted studies which show if the brain's activity is slowed, cerebrospinal fluid is tested to see if there is abnormal autoimmune response, oligoclonal bands are found in the spinal fluid of many people with multiple sclerosis but it is not a specific test. Neurologic symptoms similar with those in multiple sclerosis appear in collagen-vascular diseases, Lyme disease, rare hereditary disorders, and AIDS so, although blood tests are highly recommended they are not specific for diagnosing multiple sclerosis and differentiating it from other conditions.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease of the central nervous system that also involves the peripheral nerves of the brain and spinal cord. At present, the specific causes of multiple sclerosis are unknown, and thus the disease can't be efficiently prevented or cured. However, the good news is that multiple sclerosis is not a life-threatening disease and that the existing treatments can successfully keep its generated symptoms under control. With the aid of an appropriate course of treatment, the progression of the disease can be slowed down and patients with multiple sclerosis can live active, normal lives.
Multiple sclerosis is known to occur on the premises of myelin destruction. Myelin is a fatty substance that covers nerve cells, accomplishing a series of vital roles at the level of the nervous system: apart from protecting nerve cells and tissues from damage, myelin also facilitates the transmission of nervous impulses throughout the body. When demyelination occurs, (the process of myelin destruction, which also results in hardening of the nervous tissues) the entire nervous system becomes impaired, generating a wide variety of specific symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms produced by multiple sclerosis and the progression of the disease are strongly influenced by the proportions of the demyelination process and the location of the hardened lesions.
According to the intensity and frequency of its generated symptoms, as well as its rate of progression, multiple sclerosis can be categorized in two distinctive groups: the relapsing-remitting type and the chronic-progressive type. The chronic-progressive variety of multiple sclerosis can be further categorized as primary-progressive, secondary-progressive and progressive-relapsing.
The relapsing-remitting type of multiple sclerosis is the most common form of the disease and it predominantly affects young and middle-aged persons. The major characteristic of the relapsing-remitting type of multiple sclerosis is that its generated symptoms are mild and tend to occur in flares. After short periods of symptomatic flare-up, the disease goes into remission, producing no perceivable symptoms for periods of a few weeks or even months. The periods of remission usually occur naturally, although immunosuppressive drugs can also influence the occurrence and the duration of remission periods. However, the periods of remission are usually followed by short periods of relapse, characterized by intensification of the overall symptoms.
The chronic-progressive type of multiple sclerosis refers to cases that are slow-progressing and don't involve spontaneous periods of remission. Chronic-progressive multiple sclerosis predominantly affects persons with ages over 45. Around 20 percent of all multiple sclerosis cases are of chronic-progressive type. Primary-progressive multiple sclerosis has a predictable pattern of progression, gradually evolving without periods of remission. This subtype affects around 10 percent of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The secondary-progressive subtype affects about 50 percent of patients diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis. Unlike the previously described subtype, secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis occasionally involves flare-ups and periods of remission. The progressive-relapsing subtype is a very rare form of chronic-progressive multiple sclerosis. This subtype is gradually progressive and is characterized by short periods of symptomatic flare-up.
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