Highlighted Symptoms
In keeping with MS Awareness Month, I wanted to highlight something I mentioned in my previous blog which is the wide range of symptoms that people with MS can experience.
When anyone’s feeling a little strange, or in some kind of pain, my guess is that most of us would Google our symptoms. If you looked up the signs of MS, there are just so many of them that I wouldn’t be surprised if someone mistakenly convinced themselves they had it!
I wanted to highlight the five most common symptoms that I’ve been hearing from people in the MS community:
1. Numbness & Tingling: This was the most common symptom I encountered, but it was also the most distinct. The most likely reason for this is that the Myelin Sheath that protects our nerves is damaged by MS, preventing messages from being sent (either partially or completely) from our brain to our body. The interesting part is that everyone's numbness is different; for me, it's in my feet, while for others, it can be in other body parts like the hands, legs or arms.
2. Vision Problems: Mark this one in the category of scariest symptoms. MS can irritate the optic nerve, causing central vision problems. This can result in vision loss, double vision, or blurry vision. When talking to people who have had this symptom, it isn't necessarily the first one they experienced, but it is the one that causes the most anxiety.
3. Balance issues and Dizziness: Every doctor or nurse I've worked with in the last eight months has inquired about my balance. I'm fortunate in that, aside from my rubber band ankles, I don't have any balance problems. People with MS can experience dizziness similar to that feeling of being light-headed after standing up too quickly, but for extended periods of time.
4. Fatigue and Weakness: This has to be the most difficult symptom to identify in people with MS because, let's face it, what adult isn’t tired? Adults are so used to not getting enough sleep that we spend most of our days exhausted. This is distinct for those with MS because it can last for weeks at a time, and you can have difficulty performing even routine tasks. It occurs when the nerves in the spinal column begin to deteriorate.
5. Emotional Health Changes: This is the one that I find to be the most intriguing in myself and many others with whom I've talked to. Mood swings and irritability are common symptoms of MS. Mental wellbeing is a challenge for all these days, but it manifests itself differently in people with MS. It was difficult to notice at the time, but looking back, I believe my depression "that came out of nowhere" was caused by my (not yet diagnosed) MS.
As I previously said, everyone has different symptoms, and it is difficult to really understand why, but necessary to bring to light and talk about in case you or someone you know is experiencing any of these.
- Jesse