Demyelinating disease. Aspartame, mercury, benzene, lead, and toluene can cause same symptoms. Use Chlamydia General, Herpes Type 6, and see ALS, Herpes General, Blastocystis Hominis, Parasites Flukes, Shigella, Nocardia, and Herpes Zoster programs.Encyclopedia Entry for Multiple Sclerosis :Multiple sclerosis - discharge. Try to stay as active as you can. Ask your health care provider what kind of activity and exercise are right for you. Try walking or jogging. Stationary bicycle riding is also good exercise. Benefits of exercise include: Helps your muscles stay loose Helps you keep your balance Good for your heart Helps you sleep better Helps you have regular bowel movements If you have problems with spasticity , learn about what makes it worse. You or your caregiver can learn exercises to keep muscles loose.Increased body temperature can make your symptoms worse. Here are some tips to prevent overheating: Exercise in the morning and the evening. Be careful not to wear too many layers of clothes. When taking baths and showers, avoid water that is too hot. Be careful in hot tubs or saunas. Make sure somebody is around to help you if you become overheated. Keep your house cool in the summer with air conditioning. Avoid hot drinks if you notice problems with swallowing, or other symptoms get worse.Make sure your home is safe. Find out what you can do to prevent falls and keep your bathroom safe to use. If you are having trouble moving around in your house easily, talk with your provider about getting help. Your provider can refer you to a physical therapist to help with: Exercises for strength and moving around How to use your walker, cane, wheelchair, or other devices How to set up your home to safely move around.You may have problems starting to urinate or emptying your bladder all the way. Your bladder may empty too often or at the wrong time. Your bladder may become too full and you may leak urine. To help with bladder problems, your doctor may prescribe medicine. Some people with MS need to use a urinary catheter. This is a thin tube that is inserted into your bladder to drain urine. Your provider may also teach you some exercises to help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Urinary infections are common in people with MS. Learn to recognize the symptoms, such as burning when you urinate, fever, low back pain on one side, and a more frequent need to urinate. DO NOT hold your urine. When you feel the urge to urinate, go to the bathroom. When you are not at home, take note of where the nearest bathroom is.If you have MS, you may have trouble controlling your bowels. Have a routine. Once you find a bowel routine that works, stick with it: Pick a regular time, such as after a meal or a warm bath, to try to have a bowel movement. Be patient. It may take 15 to 45 minutes to have bowel movements. Try gently rubbing your belly to help stool move through your colon. Avoid constipation: Drink more fluids. Stay active or become more active. Eat foods with lots of fiber. Ask your provider about medicines you're taking that may cause constipation. These include some medicines for depression, pain, bladder control, and muscle spasms.If you are in a wheelchair or bed most of the day, you need to check your skin every day for signs of pressure sores. Look closely at: Heels Ankles Knees Hips Tailbone Elbows Shoulders and shoulder blades Back of your head Learn how to prevent pressure sores.Keep up to date with your vaccinations. Get a flu shot every year. Ask your provider if you need a pneumonia shot. Ask your provider about other checkups you may need, such as to test your cholesterol level, blood sugar level, and a bone scan for osteoporosis. Eat healthy foods and keep from becoming overweight.Learn to manage stress. Many people with MS feel sad or depressed at times. Talk to friends or family about this. Ask your provider about seeing a professional to help you with these feelings. You may find yourself getting tired more easily than before. Pace yourself when you do activities that may be tiring or need a lot of concentration. Your provider may have you on different medicines to treat your MS and many of the problems that may come with it: Make sure you follow instructions. DO NOT stop taking medicines without first talking to your provider. Know what to do if you miss a dose. Store your medicines in a cool, dry place, and away from children.Call your doctor if you have: Problems taking drugs for muscle spasms Problems moving your joints (joint contracture) Problems moving around or getting out of your bed or chair Skin sores or redness Pain that is becoming worse Recent falls Choking or coughing when eating Signs of a bladder infection (fever, burning when you urinate, foul urine, cloudy urine, or frequent urination).MS - discharge.Fabian MT, Krieger SC, Lublin FD. Multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system.Encyclopedia Entry for Multiple Sclerosis :Multiple sclerosis - resources. Resources - multiple sclerosis.Muscular atrophy Muscular atrophy.Encyclopedia Entry for Multiple Sclerosis :Multiple sclerosis. MS affects women more than men. The disorder is most commonly diagnosed between ages 20 to 40, but it can be seen at any age. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath. This sheath is the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve signals slow or stop. Myelin and nerve structure The nerve damage is caused by inflammation. Inflammation occurs when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system. This can occur along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord. It is unknown what exactly causes MS. The most common thought is that a virus or gene defect, or both, is to blame. Environmental factors may also play a role. You are slightly more likely to develop this condition if you have a family history of MS or you live in a part of the world where MS is more common.Symptoms vary because the location and severity of each attack can be different. Attacks can last for days, weeks, or months. Attacks are followed by remissions. These are periods of reduced or no symptoms. Fever, hot baths, sun exposure, and stress can trigger or worsen attacks. It is common for the disease to return (relapse). The disease may also continue to get worse without remissions. Nerves in any part of the brain or spinal cord may be damaged. Because of this, MS symptoms can appear in many parts of the body. Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system Muscle symptoms: Loss of balance Muscle spasms Numbness or abnormal sensation in any area Problems moving arms or legs Problems walking Problems with coordination and making small movements Tremor in one or more arms or legs Weakness in one or more arms or legs Bowel and bladder symptoms: Constipation and stool leakage Difficulty beginning to urinate Frequent need to urinate Strong urge to urinate Urine leakage ( incontinence ) Eye symptoms: Double vision Eye discomfort Uncontrollable eye movements Vision loss (usually affects one eye at a time) Numbness, tingling, or pain: Facial pain Painful muscle spasms Tingling, crawling, or burning feeling in the arms and legs Other brain and nerve symptoms: Decreased attention span, poor judgment, and memory loss Difficulty reasoning and solving problems Depression or feelings of sadness Dizziness and balance problems Hearing loss Sexual symptoms: Problems with erections Problems with vaginal lubrication Speech and swallowing symptoms: Slurred or difficult-to-understand speech Trouble chewing and swallowing Fatigue is a common and bothersome symptom as MS progresses. It is often worse in the late afternoon.Symptoms of MS may mimic those of many other nervous system problems. MS is diagnosed by determining if there are signs of more than one attack on the brain or spinal cord and by ruling out other conditions. People who have a form of MS called relapsing-remitting have a history of at least two attacks separated by a remission. In other people, the disease may slowly get worse in between clear attacks. This form is called secondary progressive MS. A form with gradual progression, but no clear attacks is called primary progressive MS. The health care provider may suspect MS if there are decreases in the function of two different parts of the central nervous system (such as abnormal reflexes) at two different times. An exam of the nervous system may show reduced nerve function in one area of the body. Or the reduced nerve function may be spread over many parts of the body. This may include: Abnormal nerve reflexes Decreased ability to move a part of the body Decreased or abnormal sensation Other loss of nervous system functions, such as vision An eye exam may show: Abnormal pupil responses Changes in the visual fields or eye movements Decreased visual acuity Problems with the inside parts of the eye Rapid eye movements triggered when the eye moves MRI of the brain Tests to diagnose MS include: Blood tests to rule out other conditions that are similar to MS. Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests, including CSF oligoclonal banding may be needed. MRI scan of the brain or the spine, or both are important to help diagnose and follow MS. Nerve function study (evoked potential test, such as visual evoked response) is less often used.There is no known cure for MS at this time. But, there are treatments that may slow the disease. The goal of treatment is to stop progression, control symptoms, and help you maintain a normal quality of life. Medicines are often taken long-term. These include: Medicines to slow the disease Steroids to decrease the severity of attacks Medicines to control symptoms such as muscle spasms, urinary problems, fatigue, or mood problems Medicines are more effective for the relapsing-remitting form than for other forms of MS. The following may also be helpful for people with MS : Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and support groups Assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, bed lifts, shower chairs, walkers, and wall bars A planned exercise program early in the course of the disorder A healthy lifestyle, with good nutrition and enough rest and relaxation Avoiding fatigue, stress, temperature extremes, and illness Changes in what you eat or drink if there are swallowing problems Making changes around the home to prevent falls Social workers or other counseling services to help you cope with the disorder and get assistance Vitamin D or other supplements (talk to your provider first) Complementary and alternative approaches, such as acupressure or cannabis, to help with muscle problems Spinal devices can reduce pain and spasticity in the legs.Living with MS may be a challenge. You can ease the stress of illness by joining an MS support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.The outcome varies, and is hard to predict. Although the disorder is life-long ( chronic ) and incurable, life expectancy can be normal or almost normal. Most people with MS are active and function at work with little disability. Those who usually have the best outlook are: Females People who were young (less than 30 years old) when the disease started People with infrequent attacks People with a relapsing-remitting pattern People who have limited disease on imaging studies The amount of disability and discomfort depends on: How often and severe the attacks are The part of the central nervous system that is affected by each attack Most people return to normal or near-normal function between attacks. Over time, there is greater loss of function with less improvement between attacks.MS may lead to the following: Depression Difficulty swallowing Difficulty thinking Less and less ability to care for self Need for indwelling catheter Osteoporosis or thinning of the bones Pressure sores Side effects of medicines used to treat the disorder Urinary tract infections.Call your provider if: You develop any symptoms of MS Your symptoms get worse, even with treatment The condition worsens to the point when home care is no longer possible.MS; Demyelinating disease.Caring for muscle spasticity or spasms Constipation - self-care Daily bowel care program Multiple sclerosis - discharge Preventing pressure ulcers Swallowing problems.Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis MRI of the brain MRI of the brain Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system Myelin and nerve structure Myelin and nerve structure.Calabresi PA, Multiple sclerosis and demyelinating conditions of the central nervous system.Encyclopedia Entry for Multiple Sclerosis :Multiple Sclerosis. Can be caused by Epstein-Barr virus, Human Herpesvirus 6, Varicella Zoster virus, Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus (XMRV) and Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria. Also use Blastocystis Hominis, Parasites Flukes, Shigella, Nocardia, and Herpes Zoster sets.Information from Marcello Allegretti.