Symptoms of multiple sclerosis are the result of the development of inflammation, swelling, and lesions on the myelin, a fatty material that covers and insulates the nerve cells in the central nervous system. This leads to abnormal transmission of electrical impulses through the central nervous system and difficulties with motor skills, mentation, and/or sensation.
Symptoms generally first appear between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Symptoms are unpredictable and vary in intensity and duration between individuals.
Symptoms in the early stages of multiple sclerosis are often mild and/or vague. Early symptoms may include dizziness, fatigue, and visual changes, such as blurred vision, double vision, and color distortions. Symptoms can come and go, and there can be periods of remission, in which symptoms disappear and periods of relapse, in which symptoms reappear.
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis may intensify during relapses. Other symptoms that can develop when the disease progresses include muscle weakness, incoordination, balance problems, fatigue, trembling, muscle spasms, slurred speech, abnormal sensations in the extremities, and difficulties with concentration, judgement, and memory.
As the disease progress, significant nerve damage can happen, resulting in such complications as muscle spasms, seizures, cognitive impairment, paralysis, loss of bowel/bladder control, sexual dysfunction, depression, and permanent disability....more about Multiple Sclerosis »
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Multiple Sclerosis includes the 53 symptoms listed below:
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The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Multiple Sclerosis includes:
See the full list of 90 alternative diagnoses for Multiple Sclerosis
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More information about symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis and related conditions:
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Multiple Sclerosis are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Multiple Sclerosis.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.
Clinical findings in MS depend on the extent and site of myelin destruction, the extent of remyelination, and the adequacy of subsequent restored synaptic transmission.
Signs and symptoms in MS may be transient, or they may last for hours or weeks. They may wax and wane with no predictable pattern, vary from day to day, and be bizarre and difficult for the patient to describe.
In most patients, visual problems and sensory impairment, such as numbness and tingling sensations (paresthesia), are the first signs that something may be wrong.
Other characteristic changes include:
❑ocular disturbances: optic neuritis, diplopia, ophthalmoplegia, blurred vision, and nystagmus
❑muscle dysfunction: weakness, paralysis ranging from monoplegia to quadriplegia, spasticity, hyperreflexia, intention tremor, and gait ataxia
❑urinary disturbances: incontinence, frequency, urgency, and frequent infections
❑emotional lability: characteristic mood swings, irritability, euphoria, and depression.
Associated signs and symptoms include poorly articulated or scanning speech and dysphagia. Clinical effects may be so mild that the patient is unaware of them or so bizarre that he appears hysterical.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Symptoms of MS may be mild or severe and of long duration or short and appear in various combinations. The initial symptom of MS is often blurred or double vision, red-green color distortion, or even blindness in one eye. Most MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance. Most people with MS also exhibit paresthesias, transitory abnormal sensory feeling such as numbness or "pins and needles." Some may experience pain or loss of feeling. About half of people with MS experience cognitive impairments such as difficulties with concentration, attention, memory, and judgment. Such impairments are usually mild, rarely disabling, and intellectual and language abilities are generally spared. Heat may cause temporary worsening of many MS symptoms. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Multiple Sclerosis Information Page: NINDS)
Numbness, weakness, tingling or paralysis in one or more limbs, impaired vision and eye pain, tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait, and rapid involuntary eye movement. A history of at least two episodes of a cluster of symptoms is necessary for a diagnosis of MS. Because MS affects the central nervous system, symptoms may be misdiagnosed as mental illness. (Source: excerpt from Neuromuscular Diseases: NWHIC)
When considering symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, it is also important to consider Multiple Sclerosis as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Multiple Sclerosis may cause:
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. This signs and symptoms information for Multiple Sclerosis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Multiple Sclerosis signs or Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Multiple Sclerosis symptoms.
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