When it comes to age, multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn't discriminate. Although most people are between 20 and 50 when they're diagnosed, the disease can strike folks who are older. This is called late-onset MS and it's commonly defined as the occurrence of the first MS symptoms after age 50.
Only 3.4% of people with MS are diagnosed with RMS after age 50, considered late-onset MS, and only 1% are diagnosed after the age 60, considered very late-onset 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.
In fact, the average age range of diagnosis with MS is between 20 and 40. While a diagnosis of MS in your 20-somethings can be shocking and upsetting, you have good reason to remain optimistic. Thanks to advancement in treatment for MS, your life may not alter much compared to before your diagnosis.
Fatigue. Occurs in about 80% of people, can significantly interfere with the ability to function at home and work, and may be the most prominent symptom in a person who otherwise has minimal activity limitations.
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.
Most people start to get MS symptoms between 20 and 40 years old. But sometimes, you won't have any MS symptoms until you're 50 or older. When this happens, doctors call it later-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS).
Factors that may trigger MS include: Exposure to certain viruses or bacteria: Some research suggests that being exposed to certain infections (such as Epstein-Barr virus) can trigger MS later in life. Where you live: Your environment may play a role in your risk for developing MS.
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.
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.
Although most people with MS are aged 20–40 years when symptoms appear, the condition can sometimes develop in later life. When MS appears in older adults, doctors may refer to it as late onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS).
The most commonly prescribed DMTs were injectables (10.46%), orals (6.06%), and infusions (2.40%). The authors concluded nearly 1 in 5 older adults with MS were prescribed DMTs, with injectables being the most common form.
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly affects young adults at the ages 20 to 40 years old, but it can onset at each age. Late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS) is defined as symptoms initiating after the age of 50.
Evidence shows that low vitamin D levels, smoking and obesity all play important roles in the development of MS. Many viruses and bacteria have been or are being investigated in connection with MS as well.
Stress has been linked to a long list of chronic health conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Though evidence is mixed, some research suggests stress could increase the risk of MS and trigger relapses (also called flare-ups ad exacerbations).
But ongoing research shows many reasons could be at play, including your genes, where you live, and even the air you breathe. Though some things, like emotional trauma and infection, can worsen MS symptoms, there is no evidence to suggest that anything you do could cause the disease or stop its natural progress.
When it comes to age, multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn't discriminate. Although most people are between 20 and 50 when they're diagnosed, the disease can strike folks who are older. This is called late-onset MS and it's commonly defined as the occurrence of the first MS symptoms after age 50.
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.
Can I have multiple sclerosis for years and not know it? Yes. MS can go undetected for years. Research has suggested that many patients experience MS-related symptoms and signs several years before receiving a definite diagnosis of the disease.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare chronic disease that happens when your immune system attacks specific parts of your central nervous system. Experts previously thought this was a rare type of multiple sclerosis (MS) but now recognize it's a separate condition.
Sarcoidosis is another inflammatory autoimmune disease that shares some symptoms with MS, including fatigue and decreased vision. But sarcoidosis most commonly affects the lungs, lymph nodes, and skin, causing a cough or wheezing, swollen lymph nodes, and lumps, sores, or areas of discoloration on the skin.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause neurological symptoms that mimic those of multiple sclerosis (MS). Symptoms of both conditions include muscle weakness, difficulty walking, cognitive dysfunction, and sensory disturbances.