Most people with MS don't have lasting sight problems, but some people do. If your sight can't be put right with glasses or contact lenses, you can be referred to a low vision service or clinic. These are normally in a hospital's eye department. They help you make the most of your eyesight.
Vision Loss
About half of people with MS will have the condition at least once. It's often the first sign that someone has the disease. But other conditions can cause optic neuritis, so it doesn't always mean that a person has or will get MS. Symptoms of optic neuritis usually come on suddenly.
Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic (vision) nerve, is the first symptom of MS for about 20 percent of people who have the disease, and 50 percent of people who have MS experience it at some point in their disease course, according to a review published in June 2021 in Neurology and Therapy.
A vision problem is the first symptom of multiple sclerosis for many people. Fortunately, the prognosis is good for recovery from many vision problems associated with MS. Three common vision problems for people living with MS are optic neuritis, diplopia (double vision) and nystagmus.
Contents. 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.
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.
How long can MS go undiagnosed? MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but it can go undetected for years. In fact, a 2021 study suggested that many people with MS experience disease symptoms several years before being officially diagnosed with the disease.
Can an optician detect MS? Only a neurologist (a specialist in nerves and the nervous system) can make a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. But many people will start their journey with an optician, as eye problems are a common first symptom.
Multiple sclerosis (MS).
When your optometrist detects optic nerve inflammation, that can indicate a diagnosis of MS. Patients with MS often also have double vision, blurred vision, or report pain when moving their eyes.
Optic neuritis is the presenting sign of MS in up to 30 percent of patients, so optometrists can play a vital role in initial diagnosis and effective treatment.
Here's where MS (typically) starts
Although a number of MS symptoms can appear early on, two stand out as occurring more often than others: Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.
Floaters are a common ocular symptom for individuals with multiple sclerosis, but MS isn't a leading cause. On their own, floaters don't usually indicate serious conditions. Eye conditions like optic neuritis can be an early warning sign of oncoming multiple sclerosis.
Vision problems, like blurred or double vision. Dizziness and a lack of coordination. Trouble walking, feeling unsteady, a loss of balance.
Characteristics of the MS gait pattern
You may walk more slowly, with shorter steps. You may lack in confidence when you walk – leading to hesitation and stumbling. You might feel unsteady when turning or walking. You might find placing your foot on the ground difficult.
Sometimes an MRI reviewed by a radiologist can provide enough evidence to make a diagnosis. But in the case of MS, it takes a combination of the MRI with the patient's clinical symptoms, history, and neurological examination to make the diagnosis.
In most people with relapsing-remitting MS , the diagnosis is straightforward and based on a pattern of symptoms consistent with the disease and confirmed by brain imaging scans, such as an MRI.
An eye doctor, either an ophthalmologist or optometrist, can diagnose optic neuritis. They can perform tests to check color vision, how eyes respond to light, and how well the eye can see detail, such as letters in an eye chart.
Although MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool, a normal MRI of the brain does not rule out the possibility of MS. About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI.
What do MS attacks feel like? MS attack symptoms vary, including problems with balance and coordination, vision problems, trouble concentrating, fatigue, weakness, or numbness and tingling in your limbs.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition that leads to a wide range of symptoms. Some people with MS may notice that their eyes or mouth feel unusually dry.
What Does MS Feels Like? A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in your face, arms, or legs, and on one side of your body. It tends to go away on its own.
numbness or tingling in different parts of the body. muscle stiffness and spasms. problems with balance and co-ordination. problems with thinking, learning and planning.
Those symptoms include loss of vision in an eye, loss of power in an arm or leg or a rising sense of numbness in the legs. Other common symptoms associated with MS include spasms, fatigue, depression, incontinence issues, sexual dysfunction, and walking difficulties.