Can MS be very mild?

Benign MS is a mild course where an individual will have mild disease after having MS for about 15 years. This occurs in about 5-10% of patients. There is no good way of predicting which patients will follow this course.

Can MS remain mild?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild.

Can MS be less severe?

Medications called corticosteroids can treat MS relapses. These drugs reduce inflammation. If you take them for a short amount of time, they can make the flare shorter and less severe.

Can MS symptoms be subtle?

The initial symptoms of MS may be quite subtle. They include weakness or unusual sensations in one or more extremities; blurring or loss of vision, most often in one eye and associated with pain around the eye; double vision; and dizziness.

How long do MS lesions stay active?

Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery.

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

What does undiagnosed MS feel like?

Because the central nervous system is affected, those symptoms can be wide-ranging. Among the most common are vision problems, muscle weakness, numbness and difficulty with balance and coordination.

Can MS go into remission?

If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), your symptoms may get worse for periods lasting at least 24 hours. Between these flare-ups, you have phases of recovery, called remissions. They might last a few weeks, several months, or longer. This type of MS is known as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

What other symptoms have MS but no lesions?

About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI. However, the longer a person goes without brain or spinal cord lesions on MRI, the more important it becomes to look for other possible diagnoses.

Are there different levels of MS?

There are three main types of MS - relapsing, primary progressive and secondary progressive. MS affects everyone differently. Even if you have the same type of MS as someone else, you probably won't experience the same symptoms in the same way.

Can MS progress without new lesions?

After a certain amount of time, “You look and see that you're not having the same kind of relapses, there are no new MRI lesions, but there are certain symptoms that are gradually getting worse,” Shephard says of her gradual change to secondary-progressive MS.

Do MS symptoms come and go?

MS symptoms can come and go and change over time. They can be mild, or more severe. The symptoms of MS are caused by your immune system attacking the nerves in your brain or spinal cord by mistake. These nerves control lots of different parts of your body.

What does MS feel like in the beginning?

Numbness or Tingling

A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of the nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in the face, arms, or legs, and on one side of the body. It also tends to go away on its own.

Is MS gradual or sudden?

Primary-progressive MS progresses gradually and is characterized with worsening symptoms, with no early remissions. There may be periods when symptoms are actively progressing or remain inactive or unchanged temporarily; however, there is usually gradual progression of the disease with periods of sudden relapse.

How many lesions are typical in MS?

For the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, there should be at least one typical multiple sclerosis lesion in at least two characteristic regions [periventricular (abutting the lateral ventricles), juxtacortical/cortical, infratentorial, spinal cord] to support dissemination in space (Thompson et al., 2018).

Can you lead a normal life with MS?

You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.

What can be mistaken for MS?

Can anxiety symptoms mimic MS?

Unfortunately, anxiety causes many of the same symptoms as the early stages of MS. MS is one of the health issues that comes up most when those with anxiety search for their symptoms online, and millions of those with anxiety convince themselves that they might have MS.

Can you miss MS on MRI?

MRI is considered the best test to help diagnose MS. However, 5% of people with MS do not have abnormalities detected on MRI; thus, a "negative" scan does not completely rule out MS. In addition, some common changes of aging may look like MS on a MRI. To track the progress of disease.

Is MS treatable if caught early?

Starting treatment early generally provides the best chance at slowing the progression of MS. It reduces the inflammation and damage to the nerve cells that cause your disease to worsen. Early treatment with DMTs and other therapies for symptom management may also reduce pain and help you better manage your condition.

Can MS be misdiagnosed?

The misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a problem with significant consequences for patients as well as the healthcare system. There are nearly 1 million people in the United States living with the disease. And researchers now say nearly 20 percent of them are misdiagnosed.

How often are MS flares?

Flares occur because of inflammation in the central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord — causing damage to the myelin or underlying nerve fibers. To be considered a true flare, a relapse must occur at least 30 days after the previous flare, and the new or recurring symptoms must last for at least 24 hours.

What does MS leg pain feel like?

This pain is described as constant, boring, burning or tingling intensely. It often occurs in the legs. Paraesthesia types include pins and needles, tingling, shivering, burning pains, feelings of pressure, and areas of skin with heightened sensitivity to touch.

How does MS affect your legs?

Over time, your muscles can get weaker and weaker. Some people with MS find that their muscles tire more easily than usual. For example, someone with MS might find that their legs might start to feel unstable or they may have trouble moving them after periods of exercise, like walking.

How does MS affect your feet?

Foot drop, or dropped foot, is a symptom of multiple sclerosis caused by weakness in the ankle or disruption in the nerve pathway between the legs and the brain. This disruption means it is difficult to lift the front of the foot to the correct angle during walking.

Is tingling in MS constant?

Other early symptoms of MS can include — but aren't limited to — fatigue, pain, and muscle stiffness. Many other health conditions can cause numbness and tingling, some of which can be serious. Talk with a doctor if you have numbness and tingling that's constant, persistent, or occurs with other concerning symptoms.