A diagnosis of the nerve disease multiple sclerosis - MS for short - means a stressful and uncertain future for those affected. Medical research has produced successful therapies in recent decades. These make it possible to slow down the progression of the disease and significantly improve patients' quality of life.
The following information explains the causes, symptoms and treatment options. The complexity of its manifestations has earned multiple sclerosis the name "the disease with a thousand faces".
MS is a chronic disease of the nervous system. The majority of nerve fibers are surrounded by the so-called myelin layer. This layer insulates the nerve fibers from the surrounding tissue. It ensures that the information in the nervous system flows smoothly and at high speed, much like electricity cables.
Inflammatory processes damage and destroy the myelin layer. As a result, nerve impulses are no longer transmitted optimally. Depending on which area is affected by the disease, different symptoms appear - from visual disturbances to muscle weakness.
Damaged myelin layer in multiple sclerosis © blueringmedia / Fotolia
Multiple sclerosis occurs more frequently in young adults in western industrialized nations. A study conducted by Charité in 2009 found the highest rates of the disease in Europe, North America and Australia. Here, at least 30 out of every 100,000 inhabitants suffer from multiple sclerosis. Around 120,000 MS patients live in Germany. The disease is not contagious.
The first records of the course of multiple sclerosis date back to the 19th century. A grandson of George III described the clinical picture of MS in his diary.
Despite intensive research efforts, it has not yet been possible to identify clear triggers for the disease.
Medical science currently assumes that multiple sclerosis is triggered by a combination of several factors:
The researchers are also discussing the following hypotheses:
The onset occurs between the ages of 20 and 40. The first symptoms lead the patient to the general practitioner, who refers them to a neurologist.
Patients usually come to their GP with the following symptoms :
A twitching eyelid occurs very rarely in connection with MS.
Conventional medicine also refers to multiple sclerosis as encephalomyelitis disseminata (ED). The current classification system of the World Health Organization, the ICD-10-2016, codes MS as G35.
In a detailed consultation, the medical history, the doctor assesses the patient's symptoms. He will get an idea of the patient's life situation and medical history and ask about cases of multiple sclerosis in their family. He also checks basic nerve functions such as balance, coordination, mobility and the sensory organs.
There is no blood test that clearly identifies multiple sclerosis. Nevertheless, a comprehensive blood test is important to rule out other diseases. For example, HIV, Lyme disease and some metabolic diseases cause similar symptoms.
MRI examinations and lumbar punctures provide very important information with regard to the diagnosis. The neurologist uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to create an image of the brain. The image is similar to an X-ray. However, the patient does not have to be exposed to any dangerous radiation. The MRI works with strong magnets.
During a lumbar puncture, a specialist inserts a hollow needle into the lumbar spine. He uses the needle to obtain cerebrospinal fluid, which is then analyzed for certain proteins in the laboratory. MS is associated with elevated levels of these proteins.
If the test results confirm the diagnosis of MS, the person affected must deal with an incurable disease. It mainly occurs in three variants.
In this case, multiple sclerosis manifests itself in clearly definable relapses. The symptoms then partially or even completely disappear. Forty percent of sufferers experience MS in this way.
A further forty percent of MS patients suffer from individual relapses without the symptoms disappearing between relapses.
Only around ten percent of those affected have to live with this form of multiple sclerosis. The symptoms do not regress and worsen continuously.
According to Charité, those affected die around thirty years after the first onset of the disease. In countries with good medical care, life expectancy has been rising steadily for years.
© Sagittaria / Fotolia
Multiple sclerosis is a threatening disease; it turns the lives of patients and their families upside down. It is not uncommon for those affected to develop depression that requires treatment.
For this reason, a team of neurology specialists, psychologists, nursing staff and social workers ideally accompany the therapy. The focus is on the administration of various medications:
In addition, occupational therapy and physiotherapy support the regression of motor symptoms. Speech therapists offer their help if speech problems occur.
A neurologist is the right contact person for the above symptoms. The specialist for the nervous system deals with the diagnosis and treatment of nerve diseases. Anyone wishing to become a neurologist must first study medicine. This is followed by five years of training to become a specialist in neurology.
Neurologists often work together with experts from other disciplines, particularly in the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis. Physiotherapists, for example, can use physiotherapy to alleviate pain and spasticity. In the case of swallowing and speech disorders, the neurologist can consult a speech therapist.
Multiple sclerosis is a severe blow for those affected. However, the high-quality medical care available in Central Europe gives patients and their families every reason to work towards a future worth living.
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