If you feel some unexplained changes, such as numbness and dizziness, along with difficulty moving, they may be symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and you do not know it. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system due to the immune system’s attack on the protective membranes of the nerves. Therefore, it causes many sensitive symptoms and signs that we will learn about in detail in this article. 

Symptoms of early multiple sclerosis

Early symptoms of multiple sclerosis are the first signs that serve as an alarm bell and warn of the presence of a neurological disorder. They may be temporary and simple, so it is difficult to diagnose the disease at its beginning. The most prominent of these symptoms are the following:

• Numbness and tingling: The patient feels numbness as if there are needles and electricity in the extremities due to the sensory nerves being affected.  
• Fatigue and exhaustion: The patient suffers from unexplained fatigue and always feels exhausted, and this affects his daily activity.
• Dizziness and imbalance: Some patients feel unable to stand with balance and become unsteady while walking.
• Changes in feeling: The patient feels tightness or pressure in specific areas of the body and sometimes loses sensation completely
• Problems with the sense of vision: blurred vision or blurry vision, and in some cases the patient loses sight in one eye as a result of exposure to optic neuritis.

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis in women

Women are more susceptible to multiple sclerosis, with a rate that may reach double the rate of infection in men due to the effect of hormones on the immune system. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis in women can be detailed as follows:

• The severity of symptoms during the menstrual cycle or menstruation due to hormonal fluctuations.
• Severe mood disorders associated with menstruation, followed by excessive anxiety and tension.
• Weak sexual desire with changes in sensation in the genital organ.

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis in men

As for the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in men, they are less common than in women, but their appearance is more severe and severe, and they include:

1. Difficulty urinating with an urgent need.
2. Multiple problems in the bladder and prostate.
3. Erectile dysfunction and sexual weakness.
4. Severe depression and social withdrawal, especially among married couples.

Read also: 6 of the most important Rehabilitation programs for patients with multiple sclerosis Get to know her

Signs of multiple sclerosis in children

Signs of multiple sclerosis in children may be less common, but they do exist, with symptoms differing from adults due to the stage of brain development. Symptoms in children often appear at the age of 10 years and include:

• Inability to pay attention and poor concentration.
• Learning problems with sudden delay in studying.
• Always feeling tired while playing or doing any activity.
• A sick child frequently complains of eye pain and poor vision.
• Motor dysfunction, inability to coordinate, and difficulty grasping small objects.
• Mood and behavioral changes in the sick child, making him more nervous and moody.

Late symptoms of multiple sclerosis

As for late symptoms, they usually appear with neglect of treatment or the disease progresses and becomes more complicated due to nerve damage. The most prominent symptoms are:

• Muscle spasms: Due to the constant state of contraction that occurs in the muscles as a result of the disease, the patient is exposed to painful muscle spasms, especially during sleep.
• Muscle weakness: Late symptoms often appear in the form of severe and increasing muscle weakness, especially in the lower extremities, which affects walking and movement in general.
• Problem with swallowing and speech: Due to the disease’s effect on the muscles associated with speech and swallowing, which leads to stuttering while speaking and choking while eating.
• Psychological and mood symptoms: As a result of changes in brain chemistry and the psychological stress that accompanies the disease, the patient may suffer from depression and anxiety.
• Cognitive disorders: The patient suffers from frequent forgetfulness, difficulty thinking and concentrating, and extreme slowness in processing matters that require mental activity.

Signs of multiple sclerosis in the face

Signs of multiple sclerosis may also appear in the face in advanced stages due to the involvement of the cranial and facial nerves, and include the following:

1. Numbness on one side of the face with a feeling of coldness.
2. Change in the sense of taste with loss of feeling in the tongue.
3. Muscle spasms similar to seventh nerve paralysis.
4. Inability to close eyes or smile.
5. Sudden, sharp pain in the upper jaw and cheek. 

Signs of multiple sclerosis in the back

Also, in the late stages, signs of multiple sclerosis may appear in the back due to the disease’s effect on the spinal cord, and the back is one of the areas in the body that most shows symptoms, such as:

• Severe pain in the lower and middle back that appears in the form of attacks.
• Muscle spasms in the back that affect standing or sitting for a long time.
• Feeling an electric current from the head to the back while moving the neck and bending forward.
• Inability to control the pelvic muscles, which causes problems with urination and defecation.

Book your consultation now at مركز العلوم العصبیة At Al Mousa Specialist Hospital.

The rate of recovery from multiple sclerosis

To be more precise, we cannot talk about the complete recovery rate from multiple sclerosis, but the rate of controlling symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life may reach 80% of cases of multiple sclerosis, if the disease is discovered at an early stage and treated quickly, while living with the symptoms without being exposed to a bad psychological state.

Controlling the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the early stages may become the first step in treatment, so do not hesitate and contact Al Mousa Specialist Hospital if these symptoms suddenly appear. The hospital has the latest therapeutic technologies in the hospital’s rehabilitation center, which includes medical staff with experience and high competence in diagnosing and treating multiple sclerosis.

اسئلة شائعة

Below we answer the most common questions related to the signs of multiple sclerosis:

Is multiple sclerosis dangerous?

Yes, multiple sclerosis is a serious disease, but it does not threaten life, but its danger lies in the fact that it affects the central nervous system, which controls the body’s movements and sensations, causing many serious disorders.

Does multiple sclerosis come on suddenly? 

Yes, multiple sclerosis may come on suddenly without any clear introduction or cause. The patient suddenly feels numbness in parts of the body with weakness in the limbs. The disease usually appears between the ages of 20 and 40.

How does multiple sclerosis begin?

Multiple sclerosis usually begins with a vision problem, either partially in one eye or in both eyes, along with a feeling of numbness and tingling when moving the head. 

How long do symptoms of multiple sclerosis last?

Symptoms often last for several weeks, depending on the attack the body is exposed to from the immune system. After that period, these symptoms may disappear completely and then reappear again at frequent intervals.

Sources

Early signs of MS – mssociety

Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms – nationalmssociety