MS symptoms may vary tremendously
As you will have learned in other sections of this site, MS is a very variable condition where there is no predictable fixed pattern to its course. Each person with MS may have a different set of symptoms, which may vary from time to time and can change in severity and duration.
These symptoms depend on which areas of the central nervous system have been injured by MS activity.
People affected range from those who have experienced only one minor attack of blurred vision so far to those with more pronounced symptoms. Most people with MS start off with an abrupt onset of attacks, also known as relapses, followed by remission, i.e. a period without any obvious clinical signs of MS activity.
Symptoms may improve within a few days or weeks, leading to either full or partial recovery.
Common symptoms in people with MS may include fatigue, stiffness, weakness, spasticity of arms and legs, abnormal sensations such as itching, pain or numbness, bowel, bladder and sexual problems. Some are seen often, others only rarely.
Since symptoms may vary tremendously among people living with MS, they require a flexible approach to management. Besides medication, additional strategies exist such as physiotherapy or diets. So no matter how good or bad a person with MS may feel and how serious his or her symptoms may be, there is a wide variety of things that doctors, nurses and each individual patient can do to improve the condition. Looking after your body and sticking to healthy eating habits is a prerequisite for overall well-being.
