While MS symptoms vary from person to person, there are some early signs to watch out for. These include tingling, fatigue and trouble with balance or vision.
You might need to use the bathroom more frequently or have bowel problems like constipation. Bladder problems are common in MS. So is sexual dysfunction, like reduced sensation in the clitoris or vagina.
1. Tingling or numbness in your limbs
Having tingling or numbness in your arms or legs is often one of the first symptoms you may experience if you have MS. This symptom is caused by damage to your myelin, which is the protective sheath that wraps around nerve cells in your brain and spine. This sheath can be damaged by MS in a process called demyelination, which causes scars and disrupts messages passing between your brain and the rest of your body. The tingling and numbness may affect both sides of your body but is more likely to occur on only one side.
Vision problems are also a common symptom of MS, particularly inflammation of the optic nerve (optic neuritis). This symptom can lead to blurry or double vision and is usually only on one side. Other visual problems that can develop with MS include slurred or difficult-to-understand speech (dysarthria) and trouble walking due to poor balance and coordination.
Fatigue is another common symptom of MS in both men and women. This symptom can be exacerbated by lack of sleep, depression or other health conditions and is the most common complaint that people with MS have when talking to their doctor. It’s important to advocate for yourself and seek a diagnosis if you think you have fatigue, as it may be overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Occasionally, fatigue can be so severe that it becomes life-threatening. This is when you should contact a neurologist, who specialises in diseases of the nervous system, for further examination. They will examine you and may run tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging of your brain or a spinal tap (lumbar puncture), to diagnose the underlying cause of the fatigue.
2. Vision problems
A problem with vision is often one of the first symptoms people have, and it may be in both eyes. This is because the optic nerve connects the eye to the brain, and damage or inflammation (known as demyelination) can cause problems with sight. A common symptom is blurred vision, but it can also be double vision (diplopia), and involuntary rapid eye movement (nystagmus). This is typically caused when the eyes send different messages to the brain, which can create a distorted image. People with MS may also have problems with color vision.
People with MS can also have a sensation of vertigo, which can make it feel like your world is spinning. This is because MS can affect the pathways that coordinate spatial, visual, and sensory input to keep the body balanced.
These symptoms can last for several days to a few weeks, but they usually go away on their own or with treatment. However, they can come back later on — and if they happen frequently, it’s important to get checked out by your doctor, says Otallah.
Depending on what part of the central nervous system is affected, symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, and they can change over time. For example, some people experience a sudden flare of symptoms when they are stressed or tired. Others develop long-term fatigue and weakness as their condition progresses.
Women have more trouble with MS symptoms than men, and this is not entirely because of sex. Researchers think hormone levels may play a role, and studies have shown that some women’s symptoms worsen during their periods or at other times of hormonal changes.
3. Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS and can be an early sign in women. It can be a feeling of mental or physical exhaustion that makes it hard to complete everyday tasks, and may affect your mood and energy levels. Sometimes it comes and goes, or it might be a sign of a flare-up or an illness. If you have fatigue, talk to your doctor or specialist MS healthcare team to discuss how it’s affecting your life.
Fatigue can be a symptom of many conditions, including anemia, sleep disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea), low iron or vitamin B12 levels, and certain medications (such as antidepressants, blood thinners and some birth control pills). It can also be caused by lifestyle factors, such as lack of exercise, poor diet, depression, stress or hot weather sensitivity. It’s important to get tiredness checked by your doctor, as it can be a sign of serious health problems such as heart disease or diabetes.
Often, the cause of your fatigue will be treated or improved, such as anemia with iron supplements, treating obstructive sleep apnea with medication and CPAP machines, maintaining a balanced diet and getting enough rest, taking medications to regulate blood sugar, calcium, thyroid hormones and immune function, and improving heat sensitivity with a light exercise plan.
Unlike ordinary fatigue, MS fatigue can last longer and feel more severe. Some people think it’s because they’re getting older, or because they’ve been busy at work or at home, but you should always bring new symptoms to your doctor’s attention. This can help to rule out other illnesses and make sure your symptoms aren’t a sign of a relapse.
4. Muscle spasms
When muscle spasms occur, it can feel like a pins-and-needles feeling or cramping that comes and goes. The spasms are usually felt in one side of your body or just in a specific muscle group, and can last for seconds to minutes at a time. They are a sign of nerve damage and can be an early sign of multiple sclerosis. If you experience recurring muscle spasms, talk to your doctor about it and be sure to mention any other symptoms that you may have, especially if they’re consistent or happen suddenly. A history of past medical issues may give your doctor some clues about the cause. This can include things like diabetes, spinal cord injury or kidney disease.
It’s not clear what causes MS spasms, but it is known that MS can lead to a loss of the myelin sheath that protects your nerve cells. This can lead to nerve pain (neuropathic pain) and chronic spasms, which can be caused by damage to your spinal cord.
Some women with MS find that their symptoms flare up more often during menstruation or pregnancy, and they may have a harder time recovering from those flares. The reason for this is not fully understood, but it may have to do with hormone fluctuations. Some research suggests that it has to do with vitamin D levels, but more work needs to be done on this.
Both men and women with MS can also have problems with their bladder, so they may not always be able to empty their bladder completely or as quickly as they should. This can lead to constipation, which is a common problem for people with MS.
5. Loss of coordination
A common early sign of MS is problems with balance and coordination. This can include problems with walking, making decisions, or thinking clearly. It can also include dizziness or a feeling like your head is spinning, sometimes called vertigo. These symptoms are often more noticeable in women than men.
If you experience these symptoms, it’s important to see your doctor right away. Your doctor will want to rule out other diseases that have similar symptoms. A neurologist will do a variety of tests to check how well your nerves are working. These might include evoked potential tests, which record the electrical signals your nerves send. They may also order an MRI, which makes detailed pictures of the body without X-rays and can find damage to the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibers. They may also order a sample of the fluid that cushions your brain and spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It contains proteins that can tell whether you have MS or not.
Both men and women can get MS, but it’s three times more common in females than males. This may be because of differences in the nervous and immune systems or because women are more likely to have hormonal fluctuations that exacerbate their symptoms. Many women report that their MS symptoms flare up during premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or during their period. This is probably because of a drop in estrogen levels. Many women with MS also experience menopausal symptoms, and some research suggests that hormone therapy might help reduce them.
It’s important to remember that most people with MS don’t have a family history of the disease, so it’s not necessarily inherited. But the risk is higher if you have a first-degree relative with MS or have a twin who has it. Other factors that might influence the chances of getting MS include age, vitamin D deficiency, and geography — areas farther from the equator have more cases than others.
