Can you live a long full life with MS?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a long-term condition that affects the central nervous system. Medical advances have meant that in many cases, a person with MS can live as long as someone without MS. The symptoms can vary in severity from mild to debilitating, but treatments and strategies can help.

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Can you live with MS for 50 years?

A study in the journal Neurology that used health data from Manitoba, Canada, confirms Chitnis's observation. In the population studied, people with MS had a median life span of 75.9 years, while for people without MS, it was 83.4 years.

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Can I lead a normal life with MS?

You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.

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What is the longest you can live with MS?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is not generally considered life-threatening and most people will live a normal life-span. One study has found that the average life expectancy for people with MS is 76 years of age.

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Can MS be mild forever?

That's not the case with multiple sclerosis (MS); while some people with the disease may be only mildly impacted over years or even decades, others may lose their ability to walk, speak, or swallow over time.

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Living With MS | ABC13 & You

16 related questions found

How quickly does MS deteriorate?

In many patients, over a span of 5 to 15 years, the attacks begin more indolently, persist more chronically and remit less completely, gradually transforming into a pattern of steady deterioration rather than episodic flares. This pattern is referred to as secondary progressive MS.

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Does MS get worse with age?

As you get older, MS becomes more of a progressive disease. You might notice your MS symptoms start to get worse just as you reach menopause.

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Can you live to 90 with MS?

The study found that people with MS lived to be 75.9 years old, on average, compared to 83.4 years old for those without. That 7.5-year difference is similar to what other researchers have found recently.

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Can MS be in remission for 20 years?

Periods between attacks are known as periods of remission. These can last for years at a time. After many years (usually decades), many, but not all, people with relapsing remitting MS go on to develop secondary progressive MS. In this type of MS, symptoms gradually worsen over time without obvious attacks.

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Why is MS becoming so common?

Although more people are being diagnosed with MS today than in the past, the reasons for this are not clear. Likely contributors include greater awareness of the disease, better access to medical care and improved diagnostic capabilities. There is no definitive evidence that the rate of MS is generally on the increase.

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Does MS ever stop progressing?

MS is a lifelong disease. Your symptoms may gradually get worse as it progresses and parts of the brain and spinal cord get damaged. But a few simple lifestyle changes can help you stay mobile and have a good quality of life for a long time.

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At what age does MS usually start?

MS can appear at any age but most commonly manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects women two to three times as often as men. Almost one million people in the United States have MS, making it one of the most common causes of neurological disability among young adults in North America.

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How serious is multiple sclerosis?

It can cause symptoms like problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability. In many cases, it's possible to treat symptoms. Average life expectancy is slightly reduced for people with MS.

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Is MS treatable if caught early?

There is no cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment typically focuses on speeding recovery from attacks, reducing new radiographic and clinical relapses, slowing the progression of the disease, and managing MS symptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary.

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Is there a mild case of MS?

The term benign MS is sometimes used to describe a version of relapsing remitting MS with very mild or no attacks separated by long periods with no symptoms. 'Benign' means 'something doesn't cause any harm'.

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What is the most common cause of death in MS patients?

Pulmonary complications.

MS can weaken the muscles that control the lungs. Such respiratory issues are the major cause of sickness and death in people in the final stages of MS.

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Can people with MS have kids?

It's usually diagnosed during childbearing years, between the ages of 20 and 40. But it can happen at any age. The good news is that if you have MS and get the right medical care, chances are you can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

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Is MS hereditary from mother?

MS is not directly inherited from parent to child. There's no single gene that causes it. Over 200 genes might affect your chances of getting MS. But genes are only part of the story.

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Does MS run in families?

Some of the factors that have been suggested as possible causes of MS include: your genes – MS isn't directly inherited, but people who are related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it; the chance of a sibling or child of someone with MS also developing it is estimated to be around 2 to 3 in 100.

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What is end stage MS like?

Losing your ability to communicate. Immobility, which may lead to pressure sores and blood clots. Increased levels of pain. Mental decline or confusion.

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Why do MS patients end up in a wheelchair?

Over time, more than two-thirds of people remain able to walk, although they may need an ambulation aid such as a cane or walker to do so. Some may choose to use a motorized scooter or wheelchair for long distances, in order to conserve energy and remain more active; others may need to use a wheelchair all the time.

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Is multiple sclerosis a disability UK?

Is everyone with MS protected by the Equality Act? Yes. Some conditions like cancer, HIV and MS are automatically seen as disabilities under the Equality Act. There's no longer a national register of disabled people, so you don't need to register anywhere officially.

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