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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is both an unpredictable and long-lasting disease, making it a bewildering diagnosis. Worse yet, MS is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms often mimic other common conditions, which leads many people with MS to be frequently misdiagnosed. In fact, a June 2021 study published in the journal Neurology found that the first symptoms of MS are often missed for up to five years before patients get the correct diagnosis. To help you determine what to look for, there is a symptom that occurs early in this central nervous system disease and affects four out of five patients. Read on to find out about the most common early symptom of MS.
RELATED: If You Notice This While Walking, It May Be An Early Sign Of MS.
A 2021 study published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal analyzed over 200 MS patients a year after their diagnosis and found that the most common early symptom was fatigue. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), nearly 80 percent of people diagnosed with MS experience unexplained fatigue early on.
People with MS can experience several types of fatigue, such as not getting enough sleep from bladder dysfunction or nighttime muscle spasms, or fatigue from just having to exert more effort. to accomplish daily tasks. But the NMSS says that a type of fatigue called fatigue is unique to people with MS. This type of fatigue “usually occurs on a daily basis, can occur early in the morning, even after a restful night’s sleep, tends to get worse as the day goes on, tends to be made worse by heat and heat. dampness, appears easily and suddenly, is generally more severe than normal fatigue, and is more likely to interfere with daily responsibilities, ”according to the organization.
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Fatigue in MS usually occurs when nerves break down in the spine, which tends to lead to weakness that is more noticeable in the legs early on, according to the Physio Centers of Africa.
“Often people say their legs are heavy and difficult to lift” Gloria Hou, MD, medical co-director of the Center for Multiple Sclerosis Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., Told WebMD. “It’s a very typical description of neurological weakness.”
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Fatigue is not the only symptom that the majority of MS patients experience early on. According to a 2018 study published in the journal Temperature, about 60 to 80 percent of MS patients also suffer from a particular type of heat sensitivity known as Uhthoff’s sign or Uhthoff syndrome.
This is a condition in which even a minor increase in core body temperature of a quarter of a degree can temporarily worsen a patient’s neurological symptoms, which in MS patients can lead to increased muscle weakness. , visual impairment, cognitive problems, imbalance or even fatigue.
According to the NMSS, other common symptoms of MS include the MS hug, which is a feeling of compression around the torso; difficulty walking; numbness or tingling; stiffness; muscle spasms; eyesight problems; Vertigo; dizziness; bladder dysfunction; sexual problems; constipation; loss of bowel control; pain; itching; cognitive changes; emotional changes; and depression. Other symptoms of MS that can occur, but are less common in patients, include speech problems, loss of taste, swallowing problems, seizures, breathing problems, and hearing loss.
Ultimately, however, the disease can manifest itself in different ways for everyone, so if something is bothering you, you should speak to your doctor. “The symptoms of MS are variable and unpredictable,” warns NMSS. “No two people have exactly the same symptoms, and each person’s symptoms can change or fluctuate over time.”
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