Ms_and_Its_Symptoms

Multiple Sclerosis and its Symptoms Jessica Emerson GEN 200 April 21, 2010 Dr. Faith Davis Multiple Sclerosis and its Symptoms Every day Americans see their doctors and are devastated by the news they receive. The medical field has made amazing discoveries in curing many of these diseases. There are some that leave doctors wondering which prescription will help the patient get the most out of life and leaves patients wondering what the futures holds. Multiple sclerosis is one of the many incurable diseases, but with proper tests and finding symptoms, it can be diagnosed earlier and controlled better. In the most general terms, multiple sclerosis (MS) is an attack on the nervous system, affecting the brain, spine, and other nerves. It affects the nerves by destroying the casing around the nerve, causing scar tissue to be left behind. Although this disease isn’t hereditary, it can be passed from generation to generation. For example, if a mother and/or father get diagnosed with MS, their children have a higher chance of getting the disease. MS is more prominent in women over men, at a ratio of 60% women to 40% men (Volpenhein, 2004). Symptoms of MS show up at different times and are different from patient to patient. Some of the more common symptoms include: weaknesses in arms and legs, unusual tiredness, less endurance, and limbs going numb followed by a burning sensation. Other symptoms include blurry sight, bad coordination, and unable to control bladder or need to urinate more often. As stated before, symptoms vary from patient to patient, but if someone believes they are showing symptoms of MS, they should get to a doctor for additional tests (Volpenhein, 2004). MS is very hard to diagnose and requires a multitude of tests. The first test performed is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patient’s brain. A common sign of MS is lesions on the brain and/or brain stem and running the MRI will allow the doctor to see if the patient suffers from this. If a doctor sees lesions, they will perform a spinal tap so that they can run tests on the fluid from your back; along with any other additional blood tests they see fit (Multiple Sclerosis, 2004). Although there isn’t a cure for MS, there are many therapies and medications that can assist a patient in learning to cope with this disease. If an MS patient feels an increase in symptoms or side effects, the best medicine is two days of bed rest. This will stop a mild flare up from turning into something more serious. Like with any other illness or disease, the patient needs to get on a proper diet, exercise regularly, get into a normal sleep pattern, and refrain for alcohol and cigarettes (Volpenhein, 2004). It is unfortunate to be diagnosed with an incurable disease and it will be life changing for them and their families. There are several treatment options and support groups to help someone deal with all of the information being thrown at them. A patient needs to realize that their family, physician, church family, and co-workers are there to support them and help them in whatever means possible. References Multiple Sclerosis. (2004). In Encyclopedia of Women’s Health. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/entry/sprwh/multiple_sclerosis Volpenhein, L. (2004). Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MMRC Health Educator Reports, 1-3. Retrieved from Alt HealthWatch database.