There’s a lot of outdated thinking about what it means to live with MS. We have information and treatment options that will help you change your mindset and give you help, and hope.
Contributed by: Carol Swetlik, MD | Neurology
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means it happens when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your nervous system, says Carol Swetlik, MD, MetroHealth neuroimmunologist and expert in caring for people with MS.
Signs and symptoms of MS vary. Some may be mild while others can lead to significant disability over time. The good news is that MS is not fatal.
Symptoms include:
- Vision loss or painful eye problems
- Weakness in the arms or legs
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Speech changes, including slurred speech
- Urinary symptoms–either having trouble peeing or peeing too often
When should you see a healthcare professional?
If you have symptoms of MS, you should see your primary care provider so they can rule out other issues and decide if a referral to neurology is needed. Urinary frequency, for example, may just be a urinary tract infection.
“MS often presents as a relapse, which is defined as new neurologic symptoms lasting greater than 24 hours,” says Dr. Swetlik.
Relapses may include worsening existing symptoms or return of old symptoms. Symptoms often come on over a few days and last for weeks to months before going away partially or completely. When symptoms go away for long periods, it can feel like you are back to normal. But it’s important to see your provider whenever a new symptom arrives and lasts for more than a day.
Who does MS affect?
Most people diagnosed with MS are adults between the ages of 20 and 40. Though it is more common in women, anyone at any age can develop the disease.
At MetroHealth Main Campus, 50% of MS patients identify as Black; 35% as white; and 15% as Hispanic. While MS traditionally affects people of eastern or northern European ancestry, recent reports show higher rates of MS diagnoses among Black people, who also face a greater level of eventual disability.
What’s new in MS treatment?
Up until the early to mid-2000s, MS treatments were few or caused uncomfortable side effects, causing some people to stop treatment. Today, there are dozens of medication options, from infusions, injections, pills and other emerging therapies. Treatments are “disease modifying,” which means they impact the progress of the disease. For example, they may prevent relapse, prevent new lesions (as seen on an MRI) and, in some cases, slow down the disease and keep it from getting worse.
How MetroHealth cares for people with MS
In our MS Clinic, MetroHealth provides a holistic approach that includes:
- MS physician to diagnose and provide the full scope of available treatments and monitoring, as well as therapy and other subspecialty care referrals
- Clinic pharmacist to review and explain complicated medication regimens
- Nursing to help triage and coordinate care
- Clinic social worker to offer resources, including housing support, mental health care options, and transportation options to clinic appointments
