Archive for September, 2008

A protein that helps dampen the immune response is more abundant in the spinal fluid of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that the protein, called TREM-2, may be a contributor to the condition. The study was published in the Journal Brain this month.

Multiple sclerosis can make your life difficult. It is unpredictable and varies in severity. Multiple sclerosis, otherwise known as (MS) is a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects your central nervous system, which is made up of your brain and spinal cord.

Treatment

Treatments can alter the course of the disease and relieve some symptoms. Treatment may include: eating a high-fiber diet, increasing fluid intake, daily exercise, and stool softeners. It may also include physical, speech, and occupational therapy. You should always consult your physician before you make any treatment choices. I believe that the goal in treatment for MS is managing symptoms as well as treating the disease before permanent damage magnifies symptoms.

Symptoms

Symptoms of MS may include vision problems, loss of balance, numbness, difficulty walking and paralysis as well as weakness, tremors, muscle stiffness, slurred speech and more. Symptoms may be different for each person, and not everyone experiences every symptom. Heat, such as hot baths, exposure to the sun, fever, seems to worsen or intensify symptoms of MS

Diagnosis

MS is not diagnosed by running a blood test or anything like that. There is no single test available to clearly identify Multiple Sclerosis. Diagnosis usually takes a period of time and is based on overall symptoms and tests as well as a person?s medical history.

Diagnosis of MS is usually between the ages of 20 and 40.

Relapsing-Remitting MS: About 85% of people with MS receive an initial diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS.

Secondary-Progressive MS: About 50% of people diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS will develop secondary-progressive MS within 10 years, and the symptoms steadily worsen.

Progressive-Relapsing MS: 6% to 10% of people are diagnosed with this.

Multiple Sclerosis affects somewhere around 400,000 people in North America and nearly 1 million people worldwide, including twice as many women as men.

If multiple sclerosis impairs your ability to do things you enjoy, talk with your doctor about possible ways to get around the obstacles.

By far our most popular, serial blog post; “How’s your MS today?” Each month I pose this question and many of you respond.
I love the way that you use this opportunity post to contact one another, pose your own questions and suggest topics for further blogs. It has become a favorite of mine [...]

Source:August check in – how is your MS today?

Well, folks I’ve been off at Big Kids Camp this week and weekend. In other words, I’m on vacation!
I have to be honest and say that I really need this break, and I’m having a great time. I’ll check in next week to see how everyone here at Life with MS is doing. [...]

Source:When I take vacation, my MS should too!

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is promoting its $60 million “End MS” research fundraising campaign on $2 million worth of new advertising space donated by Astral Media Inc.

Source:Astral donates $2M to help fight MS

Several weeks ago News Channel 8 went looking for answers after a man with Multiple Sclerosis asked us for help with his bus service.

Source:Help for the disabled

A new report looking at the effect of Scotland’s damp and cloudy climate on health highlights vitamin D deficiency as playing a role in a number of conditions – including MS.

Positive results from small study assessing the safety of LDN

Results from a new study investigating the benefits of Sativex in neuropathic pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have shown it gave long-term pain relief.