What are the facial symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Usually, MS facial twitching affects one side of your face at a time. And you may notice other facial symptoms first, like numbness, tingling, weakness, or other weird sensations. “People will usually say, 'My face feels swollen, but I look in the mirror and it's not swollen,'” Stoll says.

Does MS affect your facial features?

While facial drooping is often a sign of other disorders such as Bell's palsy, Lyme disease, or even stroke, it may be an early sign of MS.

What are some of the earliest signs of MS as they present clinically?

What are the three most common early signs of MS?

What does MS pain feel like on face?

Trigeminal neuralgia: There is a facial pain syndrome known as trigeminal neuralgia which is more common in people with MS than in the general population. It is a sharp, electrical jabbing pain on one side of the face, usually in the cheek. It can be very severe, and lasts a few seconds. It may occur many times a day.

Managing Symptoms: Numbness

What kind of face pain is associated with MS?

People with MS are 20 times more likely to experience trigeminal neuralgia than those without MS. Often described as a sharp shooting pain in the face, it's the result of damage to the trigeminal nerve.

Does MS affect your teeth?

MS patients are all at higher risk for dental issues because of the complications of MS. The disease itself affects the teeth and gums on a biochemical level. The medicine that is used to treat MS can also lead to problems.

How can I check myself for MS?

What are some unusual symptoms of MS?

Where does MS usually start?

Here's where MS (typically) starts

Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache. It often occurs on one side and can eventually lead to partial or total vision loss.

What medical conditions mimic MS?

Does MS show up in blood work?

Blood Tests: Currently, there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, but they can be used to rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Can MS affect your nose?

First, sinusitis is present in many MS patients, and the rate of MS exacerbations during the sinusitis attacks was found to be doubled. Furthermore, using magnetic resonance imaging of the nasal sinuses, 53% of MS patients had evidence of sinusitis.

Does MS change your hair?

Hair loss is also relatively commonly observed in patients with MS who receive immunosuppressive agents,^3,4 which is thought to be a consequence of toxicity to the hair follicle.

What two parts of the body does MS affect?

In people with MS, the immune system attacks cells in the myelin, the protective sheath that surrounds nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Damage to the myelin sheath interrupts nerve signals from your brain to other parts of your body. The damage can lead to symptoms affecting your brain, spinal cord and eyes.

What is the biggest symptom of MS?

Fatigue. Feeling fatigued is one of the most common and troublesome symptoms of MS. It's often described as an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that means it can be a struggle to carry out even the simplest activities.

What are the first signs of MS in seniors?

What does MS look like in the beginning?

The most common symptoms are: Bladder and bowel problems: You may have to pee more often, need to go at night, or have trouble emptying your bladder fully. Bowel issues like constipation are also common. Read more on bladder control problems and bowel problems with MS.

How can a neurologist tell if you have MS?

Neurological examination

Your neurologist will look for abnormalities, changes or weakness in your vision, eye movements, hand or leg strength, balance and co-ordination, speech and reflexes. These may show whether your nerves are damaged in a way that might suggest MS.

How long can you have MS Before you know it?

MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but it can go undetected for years. In fact, a 2021 study suggested that many people with MS experience disease symptoms several years before being officially diagnosed with the disease.

Can an eye test detect MS?

MS causes the immune system to attack nerve fibers and causes miscommunication between the brain and other parts of the body. When your optometrist detects optic nerve inflammation, that can indicate a diagnosis of MS.

Does MS affect the lips?

Inflammation. The systemic inflammation related to MS can directly affect nerves in the mouth and face — gums included. Inflammation can also affect the bones, nerves, mucous membranes, and skin in and around the mouth.

Is dry mouth a symptom of multiple sclerosis?

Results: The most frequent symptoms were dry mouth (43.2%) and bleeding from gums (28.1%). Dry mouth was more frequent in patients with secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) than relapsing-remitting MS (65.4% vs 41.3%, p = 0.023).