What part of the face does MS affect?

One of the most extreme forms of pain that a person with MS can experience is trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of chronic pain that affects the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve carries sensations from your face to your brain.

Does MS affect the face?

Trigeminal neuralgia, which is a type of chronic nerve pain in your face, is common with multiple sclerosis (MS). It may feel like a stabbing or burning sensation on the side of your face. People who don't have MS sometimes have trigeminal neuralgia, but it's more common with MS.

What does MS pain feel like on face?

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) - a stabbing pain in the face or jaw area that can occur as an initial symptom of MS or as a relapse. While it can be confused with dental pain, this pain is neuropathic in origin (caused by damage to the trigeminal nerve).

What kind of facial 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.

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.

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Does MS mess with 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.

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.

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

What is neuropathy in the face?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of trigeminal neuropathy brought on by nerve damage. The condition causes sudden, intense facial pain on one side of your face. The pain can feel like an electrical shock. Approximately 150,000 people develop trigeminal neuralgia every year. It's also called tic douloureux.

Where do you hurt with MS?

MS can damage the nerves that affect your muscles. This can cause acute or paroxysmal pain in the form of spasms. Your arms and legs might shoot out uncontrollably and might have pain like cramping or pulling. Nerve pain can also be chronic in the form of painful or unusual sensations on your skin.

Where is MS headache located?

Cluster headaches have been linked to MS lesions in the brainstem, especially in the part where the trigeminal nerve originates. 7 This is the nerve involved with trigeminal neuralgia—one of the most painful MS symptoms.

Where does MS pain usually start?

Experts usually describe pain caused by MS as musculoskeletal, paroxysmal or chronic neurogenic. Musculoskeletal pain can be due to muscular weakness, spasticity and imbalance. It is most often seen in the hips, legs and arms and particularly when muscles, tendons and ligaments remain immobile for some time.

How does MS affect your head?

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.

Does MS cause swollen face?

Although demyelination may not directly cause facial swelling, people with MS may find themselves at a higher risk of facial swelling from the development of secondary diseases and the treatments they take to manage their MS.

Can MS make your face flush?

Flushing of the face — reddened, warm skin — can sometimes occur as one of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a side effect of MS treatment, or for other reasons. Flushing can feel warm and uncomfortable.

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.

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).

At what age does MS usually show up?

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to have their first symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40. Usually the symptoms get better, but then they come back. Some come and go, while others linger. No two people have exactly the same symptoms.

What do MS eyes look like?

A common visual symptom of MS is optic neuritis — inflammation of the optic (vision) nerve. Optic neuritis usually occurs in one eye and may cause aching pain with eye movement, blurred vision, dim vision, or loss of color vision. For example, the color red may appear washed out or gray.

Can you tell if someone has MS by looking at their eyes?

When your optometrist detects optic nerve inflammation, that can indicate a diagnosis of MS. Patients with MS often also have double vision, blurred vision, or report pain when moving their eyes.

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.

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.

What do people with MS most likely have a problem with?

Early symptoms can include vision problems, trouble walking, and tingling feelings. MS affects people differently. But common problems are trouble with movement and thinking, and bowel and bladder incontinence. Medicines and rehabilitation can help to keep or restore functioning.