What body systems are affected by multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). In MS , the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org


How does multiple sclerosis affect the muscular system?

Muscle weakness and balance issues

Damage to the myelin sheath often results in pain, tingling, and numbness of the arms and legs. Problems with hand-eye coordination, muscle weakness, balance, and gait may occur when the brain has trouble sending signals to the nerves and muscles.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


What part of the immune system is affected by multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is considered to be an immune-mediated disease in which the body's immune system attacks the central nervous system (CNS).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on nationalmssociety.org


How does multiple sclerosis affect the digestive system?

Constipation and Fecal Incontinence

The most prevalent chronic digestive symptom in those with MS is constipation, affecting about half of those with MS. Individuals who experience constipation have infrequent bowel movements that are difficult to pass, and often accompanied by significant bowel pain and bloating.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on badgut.org


How does multiple sclerosis affect the endocrine system?

Alterations in endocrine function in MS include hyperactivity of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-producing neurons, dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and altered basal or stimulated cortisol concentrations (10–16).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on academic.oup.com


Understanding multiple sclerosis and what it does to the body



How multiple sclerosis affects the nervous system?

In multiple sclerosis, the protective coating on nerve fibers (myelin) in the central nervous system is damaged. This creates a lesion that, depending on the location in the central nervous system, may cause symptoms such as numbness, pain or tingling in parts of the body.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org


Does multiple sclerosis affect the hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus is the central regulator of numerous homeostatic processes. In MS, many of these processes, especially wakefulness and activity level, are disrupted. This can lead to debilitating symptoms such as fatigue. However, the hypothalamus and its functions are often overlooked in MS.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Does MS affect autonomic nervous system?

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive neurological disease, can result in autonomic dysfunction. Impairments in the autonomic control of cardiovascular and thermoregulatory function during exercise have been observed in MS.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


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.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


How does MS affect the bladder and bowels?

Bladder and bowel problems occur commonly in MS, and can range from mild incontinence or constipation to more severe problems. Bladder problems include the need to pass water frequently and/or urgently, incomplete emptying or emptying bladder at inappropriate times.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on msif.org


How does the nervous system affect the immune system?

The CNS regulates immune function, inflammation, and pathogens responses against host tissues, through the production of inhibitory cytokines, hormones, and other soluble molecules able to signal to the brain, which in turn exerts strong regulatory effects on the immune response (5, 32).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on frontiersin.org


Is your immune system compromised with MS?

The immune system is a complex network of cells and proteins that defends the body against infection. The immune system keeps a record of every germ (microbe) it has ever defeated so it can recognise and destroy the microbe quickly if it enters the body again.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on betterhealth.vic.gov.au


Is MS an immune system disorder?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system. MS is considered to be an immune-mediated disease, which is a disease that causes the body's immune system to act abnormally.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


How does multiple sclerosis affect the respiratory system?

Respiratory complications such as aspiration, lung infections and respiratory failure are typically seen in patients with long-standing MS. Acute respiratory failure is uncommon and due to newly appearing demyelinating plaques extensively involving areas of the brain stem or spinal cord.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Does multiple sclerosis affect homeostasis?

Introduction. ], that reduced thymic output results in a homeostatic response that contributes to the pathogenesis of both RRMS and PPMS. That is, both subtypes of MS are disorders of T-cell homeostasis.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hindawi.com


What is MS hug?

The 'MS hug' is an MS symptom where you feel pain or tightness around the chest or stomach area. It's not dangerous, but it can be frightening, especially if you haven't come across it before.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mssociety.org.uk


Why do my legs feel like jelly?

The “jelly legs” feeling, which typically refers to feelings of weakness, dizziness, or loss of control in the legs, is often caused by a rush of adrenaline taking blood away from the legs, though there may be other causes.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on calmclinic.com


Can MS affect your heart?

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect cardiovascular function in a variety of ways leading to abnormalities in blood pressure response, heart rate, heart rhythm, left ventricular systolic function, and may cause pulmonary edema or cardiomyopathy.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Does MS cause low back pain?

Low back pain is very common in the general population, but even more so among people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on verywellhealth.com


Does MS affect the sympathetic nervous system?

A lower than normal function of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has been identified early in the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) and has been shown to play a role in the pathology of the disease.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Which part of the brain is involved in autonomic function?

The hypothalamus is the key brain site for central control of the autonomic nervous system, and the paraventricular nucleus is the key hypothalamic site for this control.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on nba.uth.tmc.edu


Can MS cause low oxygen levels?

Researchers have shown that inflammation in MS can reduce blood flow to the brain and spinal cord, resulting in less oxygen reaching the cells.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mssociety.org.uk


Does MS affect the adrenal glands?

The adrenal glands of the patients with MS were 36% larger than those of the patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis who had comparable body weights. The adrenal-body weight ratio was 40% greater in patients with MS than in patients who died of acute myocardial infarction.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on jamanetwork.com


Does MS affect body temperature?

When you have MS, even a small rise in body temperature -- about 0.5 degrees F -- can make your symptoms worse. Lots of things can cause this, including warm weather, hot showers, a heavy meal, and exercise. Heat-related symptoms aren't harmful and go away as soon as you cool down.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com


Can MS lower your body temperature?

“A much less common problem occurs in patients with advanced MS, who may have a hard time regulating body temperature and may become prone to hypothermia (low body temperatures, often even lower than 94 degrees Fahrenheit),” says Dr. Weinshenker.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthcentral.com