Multiple sclerosis occurs in 1.1 million people worldwide

About 400,000 of the 1.1 million worldwide sufferers of multiple sclerosis live in the US. It is an autoimmune disease which affects the brain and spinal cord. Hard scar tissue replaces the myelin sheaths of neurons which results in disruption of nerve impulses. The condition is progressive and degenerative. Hereditary factors account for about 20% of MS cases. Symptoms of MS can vary and are often misdiagnosed. Common symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, loss of coordination, loss of balance, difficulty walking, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, double or blurred vision, ophthalmic pain or vision loss, tingling in hands or feet, numbness in hands or feet and weakness in arms or legs. Other less common symptoms include seizures, hearing loss, dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, itching, headache and muscle spasms. Secondary symptoms may include chronic urinary infections, slurred speech, forgetfulness, confusion, weakness, bone density loss, difficulty breathing. Bedsores become common as the disease progresses and the patient is less mobile and depression is prevalent at all stages of MS. Some patients are not affected badly and can lead normal lives. There is no cure but treatment may include corticosteroids, beta interferons or tizanidine hydrochloride. Other medications may be used to treat the various symptoms that occur such as fatigue and bladder problems.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Express Newsline

Related Disease Topics:

• Multiple sclerosis
• MS
• Autoimmune disease
• Degenerative disease

Related Symptom Topics:

• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Loss of coordination
• Loss of balance
• Difficulty walking
• Bladder dysfunction
• Bowel dysfunction
• Sexual dysfunction
• Double vision
• Blurred vision
• Ophthalmic pain
• Vision loss
• Tingling in hands
• Tingling in feet
• Numbness in hands
• Numbness in feet
• Weakness in arms
• Weakness in legs
• Seizures
• Hearing loss
• Dysphagia
• Difficulty swallowing
• Itching
• Headache
• Muscle spasms
• Chronic urinary infections
• Slurred speech
• Forgetfulness
• Confusion
• Weakness
• Bone density loss
• Difficulty breathing
• Bedsores
• Depression

Article Source Details

About: Multiple sclerosis occurs in 1.1 million people worldwide

Date: 13 January 2005

Source: Express Newsline

URL: http://www.expressnewsline.com/articles/fullstory0305-insight-Multiple+Sclerosis-status-11-newsID-2124.html

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and multiple sclerosis
• Misdiagnosis and MS
• Misdiagnosis and autoimmune disease
• Misdiagnosis and degenerative disease
• Misdiagnosis and fatigue
• Misdiagnosis and dizziness
• Misdiagnosis and loss of coordination
• Misdiagnosis and loss of balance
• Misdiagnosis and difficulty walking
• Misdiagnosis and bladder dysfunction
• Misdiagnosis and bowel dysfunction
• Misdiagnosis and sexual dysfunction
• Misdiagnosis and double vision
• Misdiagnosis and blurred vision
• Misdiagnosis and ophthalmic pain
• Misdiagnosis and vision loss
• Misdiagnosis and tingling in hands
• Misdiagnosis and tingling in feet
• Misdiagnosis and numbness in hands
• Misdiagnosis and numbness in feet
• Misdiagnosis and weakness in arms
• Misdiagnosis and weakness in legs
• Misdiagnosis and seizures
• Misdiagnosis and hearing loss
• Misdiagnosis and dysphagia
• Misdiagnosis and difficulty swallowing
• Misdiagnosis and itching
• Misdiagnosis and headache
• Misdiagnosis and muscle spasms
• Misdiagnosis and chronic urinary infections
• Misdiagnosis and slurred speech
• Misdiagnosis and forgetfulness
• Misdiagnosis and confusion
• Misdiagnosis and weakness
• Misdiagnosis and bone density loss
• Misdiagnosis and difficulty breathing
• Misdiagnosis and bedsores
• Misdiagnosis and depression
• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis and fatigue
• Diagnosis and dizziness
• Diagnosis and loss of coordination
• Diagnosis and loss of balance
• Diagnosis and difficulty walking
• Diagnosis and bladder dysfunction
• Diagnosis and bowel dysfunction
• Diagnosis and sexual dysfunction
• Diagnosis and double vision
• Diagnosis and blurred vision
• Diagnosis and ophthalmic pain
• Diagnosis and vision loss
• Diagnosis and tingling in hands
• Diagnosis and tingling in feet
• Diagnosis and numbness in hands
• Diagnosis and numbness in feet
• Diagnosis and weakness in arms
• Diagnosis and weakness in legs
• Diagnosis and seizures
• Diagnosis and hearing loss
• Diagnosis and dysphagia
• Diagnosis and difficulty swallowing
• Diagnosis and itching
• Diagnosis and headache
• Diagnosis and muscle spasms
• Diagnosis and chronic urinary infections
• Diagnosis and slurred speech
• Diagnosis and forgetfulness
• Diagnosis and confusion
• Diagnosis and weakness
• Diagnosis and bone density loss
• Diagnosis and difficulty breathing
• Diagnosis and bedsores
• Diagnosis and depression
• Cause of MS
• Cause of multiple sclerosis
• Medication
• Medication and multiple sclerosis
• Medication and MS
• Medication and autoimmune disease
• Medication and fatigue
• Medication and bladder problems
• Medication and depression

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