How do you know if you have mild MS?

One of the more obvious first signs of MS is a problem with vision, known as optic neuritis. This is often because it's a more concrete symptom as opposed to vaguer neurological symptoms like numbness and tingling.

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What does mild MS feel like?

“MS may lead to a loss of sensation in whatever area of the body corresponds with the damaged area of the brain or spinal cord,” Dr. Scherz says. This can cause numbness or a tingling sensation—for instance, in the fingers or toes. The feeling usually comes and goes, and can be mild or severe.

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Can MS symptoms be very mild?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild.

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What is considered mild MS?

EDSS scores that are 3 or below mean there's been some change to how your body functions, but you can still walk. If you have an EDSS score of 3 or below and it's been at least 10 years since your first MS symptoms, doctors will diagnose you with benign MS.

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Can you leave a normal life with MS?

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.

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Multiple Sclerosis Vlog: Must we treat MS? What about Mild MS?

24 related questions found

How long can you have MS without knowing?

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.

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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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Can you have MS for 30 years without knowing?

Only a small percentage of people with MS receive their diagnosis after age 50. In some cases, these people have late-onset MS. But for some, the diagnosis represents a delayed identification of years — or even decades — of unrecognized symptoms.

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What does early stage MS feel like?

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.

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What is MS commonly mistaken for?

These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.

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What are the first signs of MS in a woman?

MS symptoms in females include the following:
  • Vision problems. For many people, a vision problem is the first noticeable symptom of MS. ...
  • Numbness. Numbness in the face, body, arms, or legs is another common symptom of MS. ...
  • Fatigue. ...
  • Bladder problems. ...
  • Bowel problems. ...
  • Pain. ...
  • Cognitive changes. ...
  • Depression.

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Can you have MS and never know it?

Benign multiple sclerosis (MS) describes a form of MS that a person may have for several years without experiencing any of the severe symptoms that the condition generally causes. MS is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating, neurodegenerative disease.

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What is the earliest stage of MS?

Early Symptoms of MS
  • Sensory disturbances like numbness and tingling (paresthesias )
  • Vertigo (a sensation of dizziness, spinning, or unsteadiness)
  • Balance problems.
  • Vision changes (e.g., blurry or double vision or abnormal eye movements called nystagmus )
  • Headache.
  • Fatigue.
  • Bladder dysfunction.
  • Muscle weakness or paralysis.

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How did I know I had MS?

Here's where MS (typically) starts

You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache. It often occurs on one side and can eventually lead to partial or total vision loss. Spinal cord inflammation, or what's called partial transverse myelitis, is the second most common symptom Shoemaker typically sees.

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Does MS show up in blood work?

While there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, they can rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

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What does MS feel like in legs?

Muscle spasms and stiffness: Formally called spasticity, this symptom can range from mild feelings of muscle tightness to severe and painful spasms, according to the National MS Society, and it most commonly affects the legs.

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What are the first signs of MS in the legs?

Abnormal sensations can be a common initial symptom of MS. This often takes the form of numbness or tingling in different parts of your body, such as the arms, legs or trunk, which typically spreads out over a few days.

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What are 4 common symptoms of MS?

Common symptoms include:
  • 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.
  • Unsteady gait or inability to walk.

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How do you test for MS early?

Lumbar puncture or spinal tap

It goes into the space around your spinal cord and collects a small sample of the fluid there. This is then tested for signs of MS. People with MS nearly always have antibodies in this fluid.

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What does undiagnosed MS feel like?

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.

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What are the silent symptoms of MS?

MS is a Silent Disease

For example, chronic pain, blurred vision, and sensory problems are only experienced by the individual with MS, and cannot be easily noticed by others.

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Does early MS show up on MRI?

Does early MS show up on an MRI? MS lesions are generally visible on MRI scans from the earliest stages of the disease, and they may even be apparent before a person experiences any MS symptoms.

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What do MS spasms look like?

There are three different types of muscle spasms in MS: Flexor spasm — The limb bends up toward the body. Extensor spasm — The limb shoots out, away from the body. Adductor spasm, commonly in the legs and thighs — The limbs come in toward each other.

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What is the life duration of MS?

Living Life With Multiple Sclerosis

Life expectancy with multiple sclerosis varies from patient to patient, but the average lifespan is 25 to 35 years after diagnosis.

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