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.
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What age does MS usually start?
Age. MS can occur at any age, but onset usually occurs around 20 and 40 years of age. However, younger and older people can be affected.
What are usually the first signs of MS?
Common early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) include:
- vision problems.
- tingling and numbness.
- pains and spasms.
- weakness or fatigue.
- balance problems or dizziness.
- bladder issues.
- sexual dysfunction.
- cognitive problems.
How long does it take for MS symptoms to develop?
A person will typically experience the first signs of this stage at 20–30 years of age. A person with RRMS will experience episodes of new or worsening symptoms. After each episode, they will have an extended period during which their symptoms improve or disappear until the next relapse.
How long can you have MS without knowing?
Not Uncommon
“MS is diagnosed most commonly in the ages between 20 and 50. It can occur in children and teens, and those older than 50,” said Smith. “But it can go unrecognized for years.”
Does MS occur suddenly?
Symptoms. Most commonly, MS starts with a vague symptom that disappears completely within a few days or weeks. Symptoms can appear suddenly and then vanish for years after the first episode, or in some cases never reappear. The symptoms of MS vary greatly and can range from mild to severe.
Where does MS usually start?
Here’s where MS (typically) starts
Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.
Can anxiety mimic MS?
Never Self-Diagnose MS From Anxiety
Unfortunately, anxiety causes many of the same symptoms as the early stages of MS. MS is one of the health issues that comes up most when those with anxiety search for their symptoms online, and millions of those with anxiety convince themselves that they might have MS.
Does MS show up in blood work?
No blood test can diagnose MS individually. However, the doctor may order blood testing to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms. Blood testing can rule out the following health problems: Lyme disease.
Can MS be mild forever?
After the first round of symptoms, multiple sclerosis can stay mild without causing major problems for decades, a 30-year British study indicates.
What can mimic multiple sclerosis?
Here are some of the conditions that are sometimes mistaken for multiple sclerosis:
- Lyme Disease.
- Migraine.
- Radiologically Isolated Syndrome.
- Spondylopathies.
- Neuropathy.
- Conversion and Psychogenic Disorders.
- Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD)
- Lupus.
Can you stop MS from progression?
There’s no cure, but effective treatments are available. Treatments for relapsing remitting MS can lengthen the time between relapses. They can also prevent or delay progression to another stage of MS.
What are the four stages of MS?
What are the 4 stages of MS?
- Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) This is the first episode of symptoms caused by inflammation and damage to the myelin covering on nerves in the brain or spinal cord.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)
- Secondary-progressive MS (SPMS)
- Primary-progressive MS (PPMS)
What does MS leg pain feel like?
It often occurs in the legs. Paraesthesia types include pins and needles, tingling, shivering, burning pains, feelings of pressure, and areas of skin with heightened sensitivity to touch. The pains associated with these can be aching, throbbing, stabbing, shooting, gnawing, tingling, tightness and numbness.
Can you live a normal life with MS?
Most people with MS can expect to live as long as people without MS, but the condition can affect their daily life. For some people, the changes will be minor. For others, they can mean a loss of mobility and other functions.
Are MS symptoms worse in the morning?
Katrina says: Stiffness is often worse in the mornings because you’ve spent a prolonged period of time fairly inactive in bed at night. It is quite a common phenomenon that many people with MS spasticity report.
Does MS tingling come and go?
As mentioned earlier, altered sensations like numbness and tingling are often an early sign of MS. However, these sensations can come or go at any point. It’s possible that numbness and tingling can happen during an MS relapse.
Can MS be missed on MRI?
MRIs are not a 100 percent positive in the diagnosis of MS. In 5 percent of the people showing clinical MS disease activity, lesions were not visible on the MRI. However, if follow-up MRI studies continue to show no lesions, the MS diagnosis should be reconsidered.
What does your MS hug feel like?
The ‘MS hug’ is symptom of MS that feels like an uncomfortable, sometimes painful feeling of tightness or pressure, usually around your stomach or chest. The pain or tightness can stretch all around the chest or stomach, or it can be just on one side. The MS hug can feel different from one person to another.
Does MS tingling come and go throughout the day?
MS symptoms can come and go and change over time. They can be mild, or more severe. The symptoms of MS are caused by your immune system attacking the nerves in your brain or spinal cord by mistake. These nerves control lots of different parts of your body.
How does MS affect your legs?
Over time, your muscles can get weaker and weaker. Some people with MS find that their muscles tire more easily than usual. For example, someone with MS might find that their legs might start to feel unstable or they may have trouble moving them after periods of exercise, like walking.