Top 50 Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

  

Top 50 Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis


Lisa Emrich @LisaEmrich

Health Guide 
December 01, 2015 

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with symptoms that can affect almost anything from head to toes. 

The disease is so variable that no two people with MS are likely to have exactly the same combination of symptoms. 

As MS symptoms mimic dozens of other conditions, it is also important to consider that this list is not exclusive to MS.
Here are 50 of the most common MS symptoms:
Sensory problems

Abnormal sensations (dysesthesias)
Numbness, tingling, burning, or tightness
Pins and needles
Severe itchiness (pruritus)
Hypersensitivity to touch
Pain - acute or chronic, mild to severe
Loss of proprioception (sense of body position in space)
Inability to detect vibrations
Impaired sense of taste or smell
Trigeminal neuralgia - stabbing pain in the face
L’Hermitte’s sign - electrical shock-like sensation running down the spinal and into the limbs when you bend your neck forward or backward
The MS hug


Motor problems

Loss of strength or muscle weakness
Loss of muscle tone (hypotonicity) or increased muscle tone (hypertonicity)
Spasticity - continuously contracted muscles and/or muscle spasms
Myoclonus - sudden involuntary muscle contractions
Tremor
Foot drop
Problems walking, impaired gait, or mobility problems
Paralysis
Loss of balance
Loss of coordination (ataxia)


Cerebellar ataxia can cause:
Gait ataxia - uncoordinated walking
Nystagmus - jittery eye movements
Intention tremor - shaking when attempting fine motor movements
Hypotonia - inability to maintain a steady posture
Dysdiadochokinesia - inability to maintain a steady rhythm
Dysmetria - reduced control of range of movement resulting in over- or under-shooting limb movements
Dysarthria - changes in speech production, including slurring, unclear articulation of words, and difficulty controlling loudness
Dysphonia - changes in voice quality, including hoarseness, breathiness, nasal tone, and poor control of pitch
Dysphagia - difficulty swallowing



Vestibular ataxia can cause:
Loss of balance
Vertigo - dizziness, nausea and vomiting
Nystagmus - jittery eye movements


Sensory ataxia results in:
Loss of body position sense (proprioception)
Inability to detect vibrations
Romberg’s sign


Vision problems
Optic neuritis - loss of vision, eye pain, diminished color vision
Diplopia - double vision
Blurred vision
Flashes of light in peripheral vision


Hearing problems
Hearing loss
Tinnitus - ringing in the ears
Hyperacusis - abnormal sensitivity or intolerance to everyday sound levels or noise


Cognitive changes
Short and long-term memory problems
Attention difficulties
Slower speech or information processing speed
Problems with abstract conceptualization
Difficulty finding the right words


Emotional changes
Depression
Generalized distress and anxiety
Mood swings or emotional lability
Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA)


Bladder, bowel, or sexual problems
Urinary incontinence, hesitancy, urgency, frequency, retention, or leakage
Constipation, diarrhea or bowel incontinence
Impotence, reduced libido, or inability to achieve orgasm
Reduced genital sensation or vaginal dryness


Sleep disorders

Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) or nocturnal movements
Sleep disordered breathing


Other symptoms

Fatigue
Headache and migraine
Breathing problems
Heat sensitivity
Problems regulating heat and cold
Paroxysmal symptoms
Seizures



Lisa Emrich is author of the blog Brass and Ivory: Life with MS and RA and
founder of the Carnival of MS Bloggers.


See more at: http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/19065/178523/top-50-sclerosis#sthash.4Z96XYpG.dpuf