What is the number 1 symptom of MS?

Numbness or Tingling
Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.


What does MS feel like in the beginning?

Numbness or Tingling

A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of the nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in the face, arms, or legs, and on one side of the body. It also tends to go away on its own.

What part of the body does MS affect first?

Visual problems are often the first symptoms associated with MS. The optic (eye) nerve can become inflamed (optic neuritis) as the optic nerve is a common area where damage to the protective covering of nerves (demyelination) occurs. More than half of people with MS will experience at least one issue with vision.


How does MS usually begin?

Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time. Tingling. Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign) Lack of coordination.

What is the biggest symptom of MS?

The most common symptoms are: Bladder and bowel problems: You may have to pee more often, need to go at night, or have trouble emptying your bladder fully. Bowel issues like constipation are also common. Read more on bladder control problems and bowel problems with MS.


Multiple sclerosis - causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology



When should you suspect multiple sclerosis?

People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.

What are some weird symptoms of MS?

9 Surprising Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
  • Vertigo. Many people with MS experience dizziness, in which you feel light-headed or off-balance, notes the NMSS. ...
  • Speech Disorders. ...
  • Difficulty Swallowing. ...
  • Itching. ...
  • Hearing Problems. ...
  • Tremors. ...
  • Headache and Migraine. ...
  • Breathing Problems.


Does MS show up in blood work?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.


How do you confirm MS diagnosis?

Brain MRI is often used to help diagnose multiple sclerosis.
...
MRI multiple sclerosis lesions
  1. Blood tests, to help rule out other diseases with symptoms like MS . ...
  2. Spinal tap (lumbar puncture), in which a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid is removed from your spinal canal for laboratory analysis.


What is early stage MS?

Early signs and symptoms of MS

tingling and numbness. pains and spasms. weakness or fatigue. balance problems or dizziness.

Where do you hurt with MS?

Tightness or stiffness of the muscles, called spasticity, is caused directly by MS. Spasticity, will alter walking and cause pulling on the joints. This can result in pain typically in the ankles, knees, hips and back.


Does MS make you gain weight?

MS fatigue, steroid therapy, and depression can all lead to unwanted weight in people with MS. Though these factors are not your fault, you owe it to yourself to take control of your weight. Overeating can increase MS symptoms or health conditions, such as: fatigue.

What organs are affected by multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

How do you know if you caught MS early?

MS is best detected by a neurological examination and painless imaging studies of the brain and spinal cord using magnetic resonance testing (MRI). An ophthalmologist also can use a test called an optical coherence tomography (OCT) to determine if the optic nerve has been affected by MS.


Can MS make you feel weird?

MS: Strangest Symptoms From Head to Toe

Extreme fatigue, clumsiness, weird prickly sensations, sluggish thinking, wonky vision -- these are classic and common first symptoms of multiple sclerosis, or MS. But the expected stops here.

Does MS happen suddenly?

Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery. Resolution is often complete.

Can an eye test detect MS?

Diagnosis and early intervention

As optic neuritis is the presenting sign of MS in up to 30 percent of patients, the eye exam can lead to the initial systemic diagnosis.


What blood tests are elevated with MS?

They'll also look for signs of MS, such as:
  • elevated levels of antibodies called IgG antibodies.
  • proteins called oligoclonal bands.
  • an unusually high number of white blood cells.


What are four common diagnostic tests for MS?

The 4 common diagnostic tools used to prove or disprove MS – multiple sclerosis by clinical neurologists are:
  • A comprehensive patient medical history and neurological exam.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging of the neuroaxis.
  • Evoked Potentials testing.
  • Analysis of the spinal fluid.


Does MS show up in MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a wonderful tool to help diagnose and follow people with MS. MRI is safe and relatively non-invasive yet can provide very detailed images of the brain and spinal cord that can reveal MS lesions (also known as demyelination, spots, or plaques) and changes in MS activity over time.


What kind of doctor diagnoses MS?

Since diagnosing MS can be very difficult, it must be done by a neurologist who specializes in treating MS. As many as 10 percent of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis actually have some other condition that mimics MS.

Can a CT scan detect MS?

CT scans may be used to exclude other causes of neurologic impairment, but they have a low positive predictive value in the diagnosis of MS; thus, the false-negative rate is high.

What are the three most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Early symptoms can include vision problems, trouble walking, and tingling feelings. MS affects people differently. But common problems are trouble with movement and thinking, and bowel and bladder incontinence.


What are the daily symptoms of MS?

Some of the most common symptoms include:
  • fatigue.
  • vision problems.
  • numbness and tingling.
  • muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness.
  • mobility problems.
  • pain.
  • problems with thinking, learning and planning.
  • depression and anxiety.


Do you feel sick with MS?

Yes, MS can cause nausea in a number of different ways: MS dizziness and vertigo is likely to make you feel nauseous. Many people with MS experience symptoms related to digestion, including dyspepsia, which causes an uncomfortable feeling of fullness and bloating along with pain.