Multiple sclerosis treatments differ based on each patient’s specific characteristics and the impact the condition has on their quality of life.
What is multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the central nervous system, causing disability in most cases that do not receive treatment.
This disease occurs when the immune system attacks the myelin, the protective covering of nerve fibers, resulting in communication problems between the body and the brain, which can lead to permanent damage to the nerve fibers.
Multiple sclerosis causes
The exact causes of multiple sclerosis are not fully known, but it is considered an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the substance that covers and protects the nerve fibers of the central nervous system.
This damage to myelin disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body, producing the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
Among the environmental factors that may contribute to its development are certain viral infections such as Epstein-Barr virus; reduced exposure to sunlight and therefore lower vitamin D levels may also be related. Other risk factors include smoking, which appears to worsen immune system damage and increase susceptibility to MS.
Multiple sclerosis, diagnosis
There are no specific tests for diagnosing multiple sclerosis, which is why tests and studies are performed to rule out other diseases that may have similar symptoms. This is called differential diagnosis.
Among the different tests that can be performed are:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): helps reveal multiple sclerosis lesions in the brain, cervical spinal cord, and also the thoracic region.
- Blood tests: allow ruling out diseases such as systemic disorders, infections, and also help measure specific IgG antibodies to differentiate neuromyelitis optica from multiple sclerosis.
- Evoked potentials tests: through visual or electrical stimuli and electrodes, this study measures the speed at which information is transmitted through nerve pathways.
- Lumbar puncture: a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is taken to detect abnormalities in antibodies related to multiple sclerosis.
Once multiple sclerosis has been diagnosed, treatment must continue.
It is important to note that there is no cure for this disease. Treatment focuses on reducing the duration and frequency of acute flare-ups (attacks or relapses), managing symptoms, and delaying or preventing disability, with the main goal of maintaining the patient’s ability to walk.
Treatment for multiple sclerosis includes corticosteroids during relapses.
There are also disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). The choice of therapy depends on several factors related to the condition, including its duration and severity.
In addition to medication, there are other treatments aimed at addressing symptoms caused by this disease.
- Improving walking speed: some medications help slightly increase walking speed in certain patients.
- Muscle relaxants: patients may experience stiffness or muscle spasms that can be uncontrollable and painful; muscle relaxants help relieve these symptoms.
- Physical therapy: helps manage leg weakness as well as other motor problems.
- Others: depending on each case, medications may be prescribed to address insomnia, urinary or bowel incontinence, sexual dysfunction, pain, and depression, all of which may be caused by or related to multiple sclerosis.
At ABC Medical Center’s Neurology Center, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
OMS, Medline Plus, MSD Manuals
