6 Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Your nervous system is the complex network that travels throughout the body and transmits information back to the brain, controlling a multitude of functions we take for granted, like sensation, memory, awareness and movement. 

The central nervous system is at the heart of that network, consisting of your brain and spinal cord, where information from your peripheral nerves travels to and produces responses. Conditions that affect the nervous system can compromise a lot of basic functions in the body, and multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common condition that does just that.

One million people in America deal with MS, and nearly three million struggle worldwide. MS can happen regardless of age, sex, or race. Early detection of this nervous system disorder is vital to optimal management and slowed progression. 

Here, Dr. Irfan Lalani and our team at Irfan Lalani, MD, PA, discuss the ins and outs of MS — including six early warning signs to be aware of. 

Facts about multiple sclerosis

MS is an autoimmune condition that affects your central nervous system by damaging the protective covering around your nerves, which are called myelin. The illness causes your immune system to attack the myelin sheath, and that disrupts the signals your nerves send. 

This can lead to a range of different problems that affect everything from your vision to your ability to move and feel. There are four types of MS:

• Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), which describes all early MS symptoms; CIS can then develop into any one of the other MS types

• Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is the most common form of MS; it causes a series of MS symptoms flare-ups and remissions

• Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) is the next progression of the disease, where nerve damage and symptoms worsen 

• Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), is a type of MS where the condition starts slowly and gradually gets worse with no remission

While there’s no cure for MS, there are treatments to help manage symptoms during flares, speed the recovery from symptom attacks, and modify or slow the course of the disease.

Early signs of MS to look out for

CIS is the illness people develop before they’re diagnosed with MS. CIS symptoms must happen several times — and the first attack must last a full 24 hours without being explained by other causes like fever or infection — before diagnosis happens. 

Early warning signs of MS are essentially the same as the signs and symptoms of CIS. Six of the most common are: 

• Balance issues, including dizziness, nausea, and vertigo

• Abnormal sensations, such as tingling and numbness

• Muscle problems, including muscles weakness, stiffness, and tremors

• Cognition problems, like affected thinking, learning, memory, and judgement

• Bowel and bladder issues, like urinary incontinence or constipation

• Vision impairment; vision changes can happen if the optic nerves are damaged

If you experience two or more of these symptoms, see Dr. Lalani for a comprehensive symptom evaluation and physical exam. 

Treatment solutions for MS

MS isn’t curable, but it can be managed to prevent it from getting worse, with the primary goals being swift recovery from attacks, preventing relapses, managing symptoms and slowing the overall progression. 

Attacks can be managed with corticosteroids to reduce nerve inflammation, and if that isn’t effective, we may recommend plasma exchanges for severe cases. The progress of the disease can often be modified with various medications that work to alter inflammatory responses, block attacks on nerve myelin, repair nerve damage, and reduce your chances of a relapse.

Infusions, physical therapy, and muscle relaxants are also available for MS, and research into treatment is ongoing. Catching this condition early is helpful to treatment, but whether you’re at the beginning of this illness or not, we’re here to help. 

Call or click online to schedule an appointment with our team at Irfan Lalani, MD, PA, in Sugar Land, Texas, and get the expert care you need today.