
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic nerve disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the myelin sheath insulating the nerve fibers and the nerves themselves, interrupting the electro-chemical current between the brain and body parts. This causes symptoms like incontinence, fatigue, incoordination, mood swings, numbness, and a host of other debilitating problems. Multiple sclerosis can be treated, but there is no cure for the disease.
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Ask At What Age Do You Get Multiple Sclerosis
At what age do you get multiple sclerosis? -
Bladder Control Problems
Bladder control problems, or urinary incontinence, affect over 13 million people in the U.S. Causes include urinary tract infection, overactive bladder, blocked urethra, medication side effect, and muscle weakness. Symptoms and signs include hematuria, straining, dribbling, frequency, and urgency. Treatment may incorporate behavioral therapy, medication, and surgery. -
Ask Can You Be Cured of Multiple Sclerosis
Can you be cured of multiple sclerosis? -
Ask Can You Die From Multiple Sclerosis
A coworker of mine was just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I don’t know him well enough to ask for details, but I know nothing about the disease. I’m curious. Can you die from multiple sclerosis? -
Anatomy of the Central Nervous System
The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord. There are two types or divisions of the nervous system. The CNS and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS connects the CNS to sensory organs, other organs of the body, glands, muscles, and blood vessels. The peripheral nerves include the 12 cranial nerves, spinal nerves and roots, autonomic nerves (the nerves that regulate the heart muscle, glands), and the blood vessel walls. -
Impotence/Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or male impotence is defined as the inability of a man to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient for mutually satisfactory intercourse with his partner. ED treatment may involve medications, lifestyle changes, vacuum devices, or surgery. -
Erectile Dysfunction FAQs
Erectile dysfunction (or ED), also called male impotence, describes a man's inability to achieve and maintain an erection of his penis sufficient for mutually satisfactory sexual intercourse with his partner. Erectile dysfunction is treatable with a variety of methods, including medications, devices and therapy. ED may be a symptom of other disorders and diseases such as high blood pressure or heart disease. -
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common health complaint by individuals. Fatigue is also referred to as feeling weary, tired, exhausted, lethargic, and a lack of energy. There are several causes of fatigue from sleep disturbances to some diseases or conditions. Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease causing fatigue. -
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can have a variety of causes both physical and neurological. Infection can also affect hearing. Medical treatment depends on the cause, but people can help prevent hearing loss by wearing ear protection in noisy environments, promply treating ear infections, and never inserting foreign objects into the ear canal(such as cotton swabs). -
Incontinence FAQs
Get answers to frequently asked questions about urinary incontinence types, causes, health factors, symptoms, tests, treatment, and exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. -
Ask Is Multiple Sclerosis a Painful Disease
I’ve been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I saw the doctor for eye pain and vision loss. She sent me to a neurologist, who confirmed I had optic neuritis as the beginning stage of MS. I’m worried about the progression of the disease. Is MS painful? -
Is Multiple Sclerosis MS Contagious
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is not contagious. It is considered to be an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own central nervous system (specifically the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves). -
Ask Is there Pain with Multiple Myeloma
I just had a routine blood test during a physical, and my doctor said the results suggest I have myeloma. I’m terrified of this disease and the long cancer battle I have ahead of me. Is multiple myeloma a painful disease? -
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a scanner that takes cross-sectional images of the body. It is used to evaluate tissues of the head, neck, chest, limbs, abdomen, and pelvis. MRI is a very safe procedure; sedation may be used for infants, small children, or adults who are claustrophobic. -
Staying Well With Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
It is especially important for people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) to avoid complications caused by other illnesses. Patients should take care to manage fitness, diet, sleep, and emotional stress to keep their immune system strong and increase quality of life. -
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be thought of as an inflammatory process involving different areas of the central nervous system (CNS) at various points in time. Early symptoms of multiple sclerosis include visual changes, difficulty maintaining balance, vertigo, painful muscle spasms, constipation, and urinary retention. There is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but there is a treatment for MS and its symptoms that include medications and therapy. -
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Medications
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be thought of as an inflammatory process involving different areas of the central nervous system (CNS) at various points in time. Examples of medications for treating MS include corticosteroids, for example, methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol); immuno-dilating drugs (interferons and glatiramer acetate (Capaxone); immunosuppressants, for example, Mitoxantrone (Novantrone), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), azathioprine (Imuran), or methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall); optional therapies, for example, fingolimod (Gilenya); and investigational drugs. -
Myelin and the Central Nervous System
Myelin is a fatty material that creates a sheath that coats, insulates, and protects nerves of the brain and spinal cord. When the sheath is destroyed, communication between the nerve impulses and the body part are misdirected, slowed down, or incomplete. Symptoms of MS include vision problems, emotional problems dizziness, balance problems, pain, sexual problems, fatigue, and problems walking. -
Wilderness: Seizure
Epilepsy (seizure disorders) is a neurological condition that causes a series of jerking movements and loss of consciousness. Seizures are caused by disordered electrical activity in the brain rooted in a seizure disorder like epilepsy or a number of other primary causes. Seizures can be managed with medication. -
Seizures in Children
Seizures are caused by abnormal brain activity that leads to a change in movement, focus or attention, or level of awareness. Learn about symptoms, causes, and home treatment. -
Spinal Tap
A spinal tap is a procedure performed when a doctor needs to look at the cerebrospinal fluid (also known as spinal fluid). Spinal tap is also referred to as a lumbar puncture. Spinal tap risks include headache, herniation, bleeding, and an epidermoid cyst. -
Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is when there's an involuntary loss of urine. There are many types of incontinence, including urge incontinence (overactive bladder), mixed incontinence, reflex incontinence, and stress incontinence. Potential causes of incontinence include overactive bladder muscles, weak bladder muscles, blockage of urine flow, and nerve damage. Treatment may involve dietary changes and exercise, including Kegel exercises and using vaginal weights. -
Vertigo
Vertigo, a feeling or perception that the environment around you is moving or spinning can be caused by inner ear inflammation, Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Meniere's disease, migraine, tumor, head trauma, or multiple sclerosis. Typical symptoms of true vertigo include nausea, sweating, vomiting, and abnormal eye movements. Treatment depends upon the cause of vertigo. -
Ask What Are the Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis runs in my family, so I want to be extra vigilant about my own health. What are the first signs of multiple sclerosis? -
What Are the First Signs of Multiple Sclerosis
The five most common early symptoms of multiple sclerosis across all patients include abnormal sensations (tingling sensation or paresthesia), weakness, extreme tiredness (fatigue), pain (both muscle and nerve pain), vision disturbances (blurred or double vision). -
Blood Test Used to Diagnose Multiple Myeloma
My grandpa died of myeloma, and I’m worried that I might get it genetically. If I wanted to get tested for the disease, what are the blood tests that diagnose multiple myeloma? -
What Triggers Multiple Sclerosis
There are several types of multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that disrupts the connections in the brain and spinal cord and causes a range of symptoms. Triggers for multiple sclerosis relapses include stress, infections, vaccinations (e.g., influenza, hepatitis B, or any travel vaccines), smoking, high temperatures (hot weather, saunas, hot tubs, and hot showers and baths), pregnancy, and skipping medications.
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What Blood Tests Are Used to Diagnose Multiple Myeloma? My grandpa died of myeloma, and I’m worried that I might get it genetically. If I wanted to get tested for the disease, what are the blood tests that diagnose multiple myeloma?
Expert Views and News
- Opioid Use Common for Pain in Multiple Sclerosis
- Stem Cell Transplant Shows Long-term Benefit in MS
- New Data Rank Neurologic Diagnoses by Suicide Risk
- US Life Expectancy Up for First Time in 4 Years
- Novel Multiple Sclerosis Subtype Identified
- Can 'Good' Cholesterol Protect Against MS?
- FDA Investigates Brain Infection-Gilenya Case
- New MS Drug Tecfidera: Q&A
- Nanoparticles Show Potential for Treating MS
- Stem Cell Transplants May Show Promise for Multiple Sclerosis
- Experimental MS Pill Continues to Show Promise
- FDA Approves New Multiple Sclerosis Drug Aubagio
- Multiple Sclerosis Drugs May Not Delay Disability
- Stress Management May Prevent MS Brain Lesions
- Botox May Ease Multiple Sclerosis Tremors
- New Warnings for MS Drug Gilenya After FDA Review
- Treating Clogged Veins Improves MS, Study Says
- Past Pregnancies May Protect Against MS
- MS Patients May Have Fracture Risk
- Stress Is Not Linked to MS Risk
- Vitamin D Levels May Be Linked to MS
Multiple Sclerosis Life Expectancy Topic Guide - Visuals
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