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The most common initial symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are:
Difficulties in walking, stumbling, uneven gait, feeling of numbness or pin prick sensations in the arms and legs, a decrease in vision, and pain in the eyes usually due to inflammation of the optic nerve. A visual field test has found this. Symptoms that may occur before they make diagnosis, but less common are: Hand tremors, difficulty in holding simple objects such as pencils, slurred speech, memory problems, inability to reason and think correctly, a bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction and dizziness (vertigo).
These are the signs and symptoms that are in need of medical attention. Medication or different types of therapies can treat and manage many of these. If no one has treated these symptoms, they can lead to other complications and further symptoms. They call these symptoms secondary symptoms not caused by the disease, but from not having the main symptoms treated properly. Chronic urinary tract infections are a direct result of not having the bowel and bladder dysfunction treated. If left without medical intervention the tremors or difficulty in walking can cause weakness and wasting away of the muscles (atrophy). Often when it becomes difficult to walk, patients stop the activity that causes discomfort, and this can lead to muscles shrinking and becoming weak. Again, if treated correctly, this will not happen.
Psychological symptoms directly related to the disease are a direct result of the primary and secondary symptoms. These are due to the loss of normal cognitive skills of a patient suffering from MS.
Depressions, anxiety, panic attacks, and mood swings are very common symptoms of a person suffering from MS. As a direct result of the disease affecting the brain, the mental capacity and thought process will directly affect the ability to drive, walk, or work. Losing one's ability to provide for the family, or deal with the strain of the disease can lead a very "normal" person into depression. Most complain they feel like a burden on the family, and begin to push relationships away from them.
With a proper treatment and management team they can treat the symptoms. This team usually consists of a primary care physician, Neurologist, Psychologist and a Physical/vocational rehabilitation therapist.
Persons newly diagnosed go into a tailspin of emotions. Knowing that the loss of cognitive skills, sexual function, and memory will at some point in time leave, they have described themselves as feeling in a box with no way out. Protective instincts kick in and they separate themselves from the family, often closing themselves off emotionally. Patients with MS can suffer from extreme mood swings, from crying spells or uncontrollable laughter with result being depression. Patients and their families should all seek counseling, because during coping patients can often push mechanisms to its limits.
The disease is unpredictable, remission and relapse happen during the duration of disease. A cure for Multiple Sclerosis has not been found. Support groups are available for families and patients to learn and understand the disease.
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