Multiple Sclerosis BY: SARAH BURGESS

“For every male that is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis there is three women diagnosed”

What is Multiple Sclerosis?  A chronic, typically progressive disease involving damage to the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord  More commonly known as MS  Known as a newer disease  There is no cure

Symptoms  The most common symptom is numbness  Many different symptoms that people encounter  Nauseous  Burning feet  Fatigue  Headaches  Muscle spasms  Vertigo

Symptoms  Everyone is different  Different cures for different symptoms  Counseling  Exercise  Yoga  Massage  Self-hypnosis  Some symptoms doesn’t mean MS diagnosis

Diagnosis  General Physical Examination  First notice something is wrong  Check with family doctor  Listen to your heart  Take your blood pressure  Examine muscles and skin

Diagnosis  Neurologic Examination  Family doctor sends to specialist  Tests cranial nerves to head and face  Examine eyes  Sensation  Strength  Ability to detect vibration over various parts of the body  Reflexes  Balance  Walking

Diagnosis/ Tests  Magnetic Resonance Imagine  MRI  Produces a picture of brain while sitting inside a tube  Most accurate and helpful test for MS  Doesn’t show MS  Shows changes due to MS  Can confirm MS not the stage  Detects patchy areas of change in the nervous system

Diagnosis/ Tests  Cerebrospinal Fluid  Needle inserted into lower back to take out fluid for examination  CFS  Spinal Tap  Used if MRI isn’t conclusive

Diagnosis/ Tests  Evoked Potential Study  Measures rate and form of impulses passed through nerves  Simple  EP  Diagnosis in a visual study

Stages  Relapsing-Remitting  Acute attacks followed by fuller partial recovery  Receive partial recovery with remaining symptoms  85% of patients start with this stage

Stages  Secondary Progressive  After years 50% people enter this stage  Conditions will get worse  Pattern begins with relapsing-remitting  Less attacks or possibly no attacks at all

Stages  Primary Progressive  Plateaus of attacks  More common in people diagnosed ages 40+  More common in men  15% of people are diagnosed at this stage

Stages  Progressive-Progressive  One or more attacks occur  Remissions can last for months or years  Attacks least common at this stage  Can be a lot of symptoms or none at all

Treatments  Drugs slow down the progression but don’t prevent relapses  Most side effects come from the injection  Redness  Swollen  Pain  No actual cure

Treatments  Aubajio  Avonex  Betaseron  Copaxone  Extavia  Gilenya  Nocantrone  Plegridy  Rebif  Tecfidera  Tysabri

Pertains to Me