Although sinus issues and congestion are not typically symptoms of MS, people who have multiple sclerosis may get runny noses and sinus infections more often than those in the general population. Fortunately, this is rarely a serious problem, but it can worsen quality of life if the infections become serious.
People with MS may also get sicker than others when they become ill. This can mean that they produce more mucus, struggle more with postnasal drip, and cough more than other people with the same infection.
The millions of people who have chronic sinusitis deal not only with stuffy noses and headaches, they also commonly struggle to focus, and experience depression and other symptoms that implicate the brain's involvement in their illness.
MS may affect swallowing in a number of ways by causing difficulty managing solids or liquids, frequent throat clearing during eating or drinking, a feeling that food is stuck in the throat, or coughing or a choking sensation when eating or drinking.
Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.
In MS, the most common cause of respiratory problems is loss of muscle strength and endurance. Just as a person can experience muscle weakness in the arms or legs, weakness can occur in the ventilatory muscles of the chest and abdomen that are involved in breathing.
What Causes Head Congestion? Your head feels congested when mucus builds up, causing blood vessels in your nose to become inflamed and resulting in swollen tissues and head pressure.
Chronic sinusitis can be caused by an infection, growths in the sinuses (nasal polyps) or swelling of the lining of your sinuses. Signs and symptoms may include a blocked or stuffy (congested) nose that causes difficulty breathing through your nose, and pain and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead.
Of the 263 studies examined, 65 (24.7%) demonstrated abnormalities in the paranasal sinuses. We conclude that because of its great sensitivity MRI will often detect abnormalities in the paranasal sinuses which are unrelated to the patients' presenting problems.
Clinical information regarding symptoms, MS phenotype, relapses, medication and degrees of disability was based on medical records. Results: The most frequent symptoms were dry mouth (43.2%) and bleeding from gums (28.1%).
In addition to experiencing more intense cold symptoms, a longer recovery time, and increased susceptibility to the cold virus, individuals with MS are also more susceptible to infections.
Head pressure is both an invisible and subjective MS symptom. The sensation of pressure can feel different to different people. This can make pressure hard to define and measure: The feeling can range from barely noticeable to unbearably painful, and everything in between.
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.
Throbbing, sharp, and stabbing headaches were described by close to 50% of all MS patients in this study. Dull pain was reported by 28% of patients, and a tight band or burning feeling occurred in fewer than 20% of patients.
While most acute sinus infections come and go, some can last for 12 weeks or longer. This kind of long-term sinus infection is known as chronic sinusitis. Caused by fungal infections or untreated bacterial infections, the constant infection and inflammation of chronic sinusitis won't go away on its own.
Some people's stuffy noses don't resolve after other symptoms are gone. This long-lasting stuffy nose is called chronic rhinosinusitis. This happens when your sinuses are swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, despite treatment.
“Blowing your nose is useful, but if nothing is coming out, it generally means there's not a lot of mucus.” The three common culprits behind inflammation in your nose are infections, allergies, and nonallergic rhinitis, says Dr. Alexander.
Sinus headaches caused by inflamed sinuses often start in the morning and clear up on their own by the afternoon. These sometimes occur when there are drastic changes in temperature such as when the seasons shift. They frequently occur in the morning because while you're sleeping mucus collects and drains.
Current evidence shows that simply having MS does not make you more likely than the general population to develop COVID-19, become severely ill or die from the infection. However, certain factors have been shown to increase the risk of a severe case of COVID-19: Progressive MS. Older age.
Researchers have shown that inflammation in MS can reduce blood flow to the brain and spinal cord, resulting in less oxygen reaching the cells.
A common multiple sclerosis symptom known as the MS hug (which feels like a tight band is wrapped around your torso) can also bring on breathing trouble by causing pain and tightness in your chest. One much less-common cause of trouble breathing is a problem with the autonomic nervous system.