Source: WebMD
By Peter Jaret
Reviewed By Neil Lava, MD
Living with multiple sclerosis means living with uncertainty. The course of the disease is very difficult for doctors to predict. Some people live with MS for years without suffering serious symptoms. Others may rapidly become disabled. Why the course of the disease varies so widely remains unclear. One thing is certain. Most people with MS experience periodic relapses, also called flare-ups or attacks. These can be mild or severe. They may show up in many different ways. Symptoms can include:
- ØMuscle weakness
- ØVisual disturbances
- ØBalance problems
- ØMemory loss
- ØLoss of bowel or bladder control
“Between 85% and 95% of MS patients begin with what we call remitting/relapsing MS,” says Anne Cross, MD, professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. During that phase of the disease, the pattern of relapses varies widely among patients. Some people have frequent relapses. Others have very few. The average is typically one to two attacks a year, according to Cross.
Doctors can help MS patients live as active and normal a life as possible by treating acute relapses as soon as they occur. Yet there are instances when doctors may recommend not treating a relapse.
..
Please note that all comments are moderated.
So that you can be kept up to date with MS news
Click here to: REGISTER – for our weekly e-Newsletter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit our MS Learning Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/msviewsandnews