5 early signs of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disorder that affects the nervous system. If one does not undergo the necessary treatment in the initial stages of this condition, one may develop brain and spinal cord disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a healthcare expert immediately when typical symptoms start showing. Some common indicators of multiple sclerosis are slurred speech, unexplained tingling sensations, and frequent tiredness. Some of the slightly more imperceptible early signs of multiple sclerosis include:
Vision problems
Currently, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, doctors conduct optical tests on individuals to diagnose and treat the condition. In most cases, a person’s vision starts faltering when the condition emerges within them. Some common early signs of multiple sclerosis include eye pain even in the absence of injuries, blurred vision, progressively worsening shortsightedness or farsightedness, double vision, and sudden and unexplained color blindness.
People tend to overlook vision-related problems that emerge out of nothing. On the contrary, they must consult their local healthcare expert immediately as these problems are common early signs of multiple sclerosis.
Bowel problems
During the initial stages of multiple sclerosis, bowel-related issues such as constipation and incontinence are fairly common in individuals. Again, the frequent nature of such symptoms causes people to ignore them, something that can be a massive mistake in the long run. On experiencing such issues, one must contact their doctor and take a quick examination, just to be 100 percent sure and safe.
Apart from bowel-related issues like the ones mentioned here and others, like blocked bowels, bloated bellies, and pain during defecation, the initial stages of multiple sclerosis are also characterized by unexplained bladder problems and urinary infections.
Unsteady gait
Abnormalities in a person’s gait, also known as gait dysfunction, are one of the more unknown early signs of multiple sclerosis in individuals. These abnormalities include decreased walking endurance and speed, unsteady cadence and joint motion during movements, varying step length, increased variability of gait, enhanced metabolic cost of walking, and similar other indicators.
Such issues directly stem from problems related to a person’s motor nervous system. Symptoms such as these indicate that the disease is likely to have affected a person’s spinal column and motor neurons.
Frequent mood shifts
Depression and anxiety commonly precede the more noticeable early signs of multiple sclerosis in individuals. People tend to show unpredictable behavior during this phase. Depression and anxiety are accompanied by fear, moodiness, and worry. If someone experiences these symptoms, they must visit a mental health expert to get to the root of the situation. Consulting a healthcare expert can calm their anxiety to a great degree. More importantly, it enables them to know whether they have multiple sclerosis and need to begin undergoing treatment or not.
Sexual dysfunction
Both males and females show similar symptoms when they develop multiple sclerosis. One of these early signs of multiple sclerosis is sexual dysfunction, characterized by a loss of libido, extreme difficulty in achieving orgasms, and, in many cases, pain during intercourse is experienced.